MEDIA/NEWS

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD!

Program Description

Think You’ve Written the Next Great Thriller? Prove It.

Do you have a gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller that twists, turns, and never lets go? The Emerging Screenwriters team is looking for the next unforgettable script in the Thriller genre—and yours could be it.

Whether it’s a psychological rollercoaster like Gone Girl, a harrowing mystery like Prisoners, or a bold, genre-bending hit like Nightcrawler or A Quiet Place, we’re on the hunt for original thrillers with serious staying power.

From high-stakes crime dramas to slow-burn suspense with mind-blowing reveals, if your script has the tension, the tone, and the twist—we want to read it.

The Top 10 scripts will be considered for the ISA Development Slate and submitted to leading industry players like Amazon MGM Studios, LuckyChap, Miramax, Disney+, Paramount+, and more.

If your script leaves us breathless, it could be your big break.

Submit your Thriller today—if you can handle the suspense.

Hey Fans,

A few months ago, I mentioned I would enter some screenplay competitions to assess my current skills. Unfortunately, I believe the possibility of Threat Nexus catching the attention of that top Hollywood management company is no longer viable. As I shared in the October/November newsletters, I adapted my screenplay titled “Black Phoenix” and planned to enter it into competitions in 2025. One of them was the Emerging Screenwriters Thriller Screenplay Competition.

After over 100 days of waiting, the Network ISA officials announced the results here. The Chief Operating Officer informed me that among nearly 1,000 scripts submitted, I successfully advanced past this opening elimination round and achieved a Quarterfinalist position, placing in the top 25% or the remaining 250 scripts. I’m thrilled that my skills—and, of course, God’s guidance—have brought “Black Phoenix” this far.

Now, we’ll see if “Black Phoenix” can continue to advance in the next round, which will eliminate another 150 scripts and leave only 100 semifinalists. I based the Quarterfinal and Semifinal numbers on the 2024 contest format.

What’s so gratifying is this contest evaluated the entire work, while my placements in past competitions were based on the first 15 pages.

This industry is ultra-competitive, but 1,000 entrants? I’ll keep you posted on how things progress!

The script adaptation of my supernatural horror novella, Evil Realms, placed in the Semifinals of the Fifth Annual 2023 Page Turner First 15 Screenplay Competition. Also that year, the film adaptations of my science fiction/thriller novel, S.Y.P.H.E.N., and psychological thriller novel, Serial Rites, garnered Quarterfinal finishes. The competition includes professional judging of the first 15 screenplay pages. The action/thriller script adaptation of Threat Nexus finished as a Quarterfinalist in the 2022 contest.