Around the world, Horror, Thrillers, Mystery, and Suspense features continue to be some of the most sought after scripts in the market. Many of the most anticipated films of 2021 have been genre films, including A QUIET PLACE 2 which just released, as well as the CANDY MAN reboot from Jordan Peele from MGM, and latest films in THE PURGE and THE CONJURING franchises. And Sci-Fi Thrillers like Sony's 65 from the writers of A QUIET PLACE with Adam Driver has been the subject of much excited and speculation.

And the love of genre material does not stop at the Box Office. Series including "AMERICAN HORROR STORY", "SCREAM QUEENS", "MIND HUNTER", "AMERICAN CRIME", and "THE SINNER" continue to thrill audiences on the small and streaming screens.

Now, Stage 32 is bringing you the biggest names in genre film production and distribution to judge your horror, thriller, mystery or suspense scripts!

Stage 32 is thrilled to announce our 8th Annual Search for New Blood Screenwriting Contest

for both Features and Television!

Click here to learn more about the contest!

This is the most well-respected and most anticipated genre screenwriting contest in the industry. The 2018 Grand Prize Winner - Christina Pamies - was signed by Jake Wagner off of her winning script and hired to write the Horror Thriller BAGHEAD for StudioCanal! And again, this year, we have brought together judges from leading genre production companies and studios in the business! These companies have produced the most critically and commercially successful horror and thriller projects in recent history.

And for the first time ever, we are accepting Television Pilots in addition to Feature Screenplays!

While this is a search for "New Blood" we're welcoming Psychological Suspense, Crime Thrillers, Contained Thrillers, Destruction Thrillers, Revenge Thrillers, Sci-Fi Thrillers, Spy Thrillers, Horror, Ironic Horror, Found Footage Horror, and more! If you've dreamt it up, we want to see it! If your script fits in with any of these examples, it’s a fit for this contest!

The winner will meet industry pros from LEGENDARY ENTERTAINMENT, UNIVERSAL 1440, BECK/WOODS (A QUIET PLACE, upcoming 65 for Sony), THE HORROR COLLECTIVE, DREAD CENTRAL MEDIA as well as Literary Managers who represent the filmmaker behind the #1 film in America, SPIRAL, along with JIGSAW, CHILD'S PLAY, SNOW WHITE & THE HUNTSMAN, JACOB'S LADDER, and more!

The Grand Prize winner will be flown to Hollywood to meet with executives from:

Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions (GET OUT, US, CANDY MAN)

Legendary Entertainment (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, GODZILLA VS. KONG)

Eli Roth's The Arts District (CABIN FEVER, THE LAST EXORCISM)

Universal 1440 (DOOM: ANNIHILATION, THE SCORPION KING: BOOK OF SOULS)

Alibi Management (Client credits include CHILD'S PLAY, BAGHEAD)

Beck/Woods (65 for Sony, A QUIET PLACE FRANCHISE)

Wonder Street Entertainment (Client credits include SPIRAL, SAW)

The Horror Collective (SLAXX, SHIFTER)

We’re looking for the next Army of the Dead, "American Horror Story", "Scream Queens", A Quiet Place, The Conjuring, The Forever Purge, or whatever horror, thriller, mystery, suspense concept your twisted mind can dream up.

And we're bringing back some of biggest genre Producers, Studio Executives and Literary Managers in the business to judge this screenwriting contest! One deserving screenwriter will earn the opportunity of a lifetime.**

Our Grand Prize Winner will be flown out to Hollywood for one-on-one private meetings with each of our judges, who come from the most prolific horror production companies in the business:

• Legendary Entertainment (THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, GODZILLA VS. KONG) - Tim Hebard, Film & TV Development and Finance
• Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions (GET OUT, CANDY MAN) - Jasmyne Peck-Bailey, Development Executive
• Beck/Woods (A QUIET PLACE, 65 for Sony) - Felipe Machado, Creative Executive
• Eli Roth's The Arts District (CABIN FEVER, HOSTEL) - Michael Besman, Head of Development
• Universal 1440 (DOOM: ANNIHILATION, THE SCORPION KING: BOOK OF SOULS) - Josh Rayner
• Alibi Management (Client Credits include CHILD'S PLAY, BAGHEAD) - Jake Wagner, Manager
• Wonder Street (Client Credits include SPIRAL, JIGSAW) Andrew Wilson
• The Horror Collective (SLAXX, SHIFTER), Jonathan Barkan

ALL FINALISTS will be in a Stage 32 Look Book which includes their script title, logline & bio mailed to over 500 industry executives including, managers, agents, producers, development executives, and financiers! Stage 32 Look Books are respected throughout the industry and have helped secure dozens meetings and which have led to writer success with companies like Verve, Good Fear, 3 Arts, APA, Echo Lake, Amazon, UTA, CAA, WME, First Friday, Pathfinder, The Cartel, Black Bear Pictures, Lit Entertainment and many, many more.

Grand Price Winner Lisa Jay on why she entered the 7th Annual Search for New Blood Contest

Over the last 8 years, Stage 32’s screenwriting contests have gained a reputation as one of the “most worthwhile screenwriting contests to change your career.” No other contest provides their winners and finalists with the same level of direct access to industry leading professionals who can take your career to the next level! Over the last 8 years, Stage 32 has become an incubator for finding talent and material across the globe.

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