How the Black List Changed Hollywood, and Might Change Publishing Too

Nearly twenty years ago, Franklin Leonard started publishing his Black List which collected “an annual survey of Hollywood’s best unproduced screenplays.” The goal was to help undiscovered projects find funding and backers. More than 400 of the forgotten works on his list were eventually produced, including blockbusters like Slumdog Millionaire and The King’s Speech. His efforts have had a dramatic effect in helping more diverse projects get made and The Black List even inspired a Harvard case s...