How much do first screenplays sell for?

If you sell a treatment, you should expect around $15,000 on the front end and $30,000 on the back-end. Finally, if you manage to sell a screenplay, you should receive at least $40,000 upfront and $75,000 on the back-end. The front-end means the money you will get at the point of sale as soon as the deal closes.

How much do beginning screenwriters make?

“Screenwriters can make as little as $25,000 to $30,000 a year doing very small jobs if they’re members of the WGA. They can make millions of dollars a year if they are an in-demand screenwriter willing to do rewrites.

What is the highest selling script?

The World’s Most Expensive Screenplays

• Déjà Vu (2006) “Déjà Vu,” a science fiction action film, written by Terry Rossio and Bill Marsilii, sold for $5 million.
• Talladega Nights (2004)
• Eurotrip (2004)
• The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
• Basic Instinct (1992)
• Bright (2017)
• Medicine Man (1992)
• Mozart and the Whale (2005)

How much should I charge for a screenplay?

One of the most common types of screenplays you’ll write as a freelance screenwriter is the feature screenplay for a usually 90 to 120 minute feature film. For these, it’s standard to charge between $1,000 – $15,000, with the most common price coming to around $3,000 to $5,000.

What was the first script to sell for $1 million?

A loveless man who believes he’s dying meets a woman that turns his life upside-down. In 1990, this romantic comedy was the first script written by a woman to sell for $1 million. It was Kathy McWorter’s first sale. Earlier that year, she had reached the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship quarterfinals with a different screenplay.

How much do screenwriters get paid for a movie?

There are some general guidelines that you should keep in mind when you’re negotiating.   As a rule the screenwriter will get between 2\% and 3\% of the production budget.   The production budget typically does NOT include insurance costs which can be 15-20\% of the total budget – this is normal so be prepared for it.

How many scripts do producers read?

Once a producer has read your script and likes it they’ve probably read 100 scripts or more and they don’t want to have to go back to the drawing board and look for another good script. So for a brief moment you, the writer, have a good deal of power.

How much did the script for the godfather cost in 1990?

The script led to a massive bidding war with Paramount nabbing it for producer Scott Rudin. One industry insider stated: “It sold for $1 million because [Paramount in 1990] wanted to make a statement to the town: ‘We’re buying scripts. And we’ll go toe to toe with any other studio.'” It sold for $1 million.