The pre-sales model is changing.

I talked to five producers and distribution execs this week who all attend top film markets and are actively packaging and selling projects right now. A common thread emerged in every conversation: we're in an era where companies can't just excel in one area anymore. Production companies are opening management firms. Sales agents are becoming distributors. Distributors are financing titles and becoming studios. All of it in the hope of building a larger library of titles that gives them more leverage in negotiations with networks and streamers. In a disrupted market, companies are becoming vertically integrated like Russian dolls: production feeds management feeds distribution feeds financing…all to better weather the bumps and bloat their libraries through acquisition or a farm system via client pipelines.

The market itself is robust, especially internationally. It's never been easy to get a project financed, and minimum guarantees are getting smaller, but a plethora of projects are getting made. Tax incentive programs in certain territories like Saudi Arabia, are reaching up to 50%. The problem isn't finding the money or the infrastructure to make movies. The modern difficulty is cutting through the noise: competing with digital studios, TikTok creators, vertical content makers, and the hundreds of other options audiences have at their fingertips at any given moment. There's more content being produced than ever before, and more platforms distributing it, but audience attention is finite. Everyone's fighting for the same eyeballs.

Which brings us back to the same conclusion we keep arriving at: in a risk-averse market where everyone's scrambling to build libraries and leverage, talent is the #1 commodity. A-list actors, Oscar-winning directors, breakout showrunners…they're what cut through the noise. They're what get projects financed, packaged, and sold. And what attracts talent? Great writing. Undeniable characters. Stories that feel urgent and necessary.

This brings me hope for writers who often get the short end of the stick. Between the 80+ success stories of 2025 and 2026, starting strong with a number of executives actively working with multiple Stage 32 writers, I'm feeling more confident than ever that good writing will rise to the top.

This Week in the Writers' Room

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4 @ 9 AM PT: The Executive Hour returns with special guest Amardeep Galsin!

Amardeep is a Mumbai-based Writer-Director-Showrunner working across premium drama and grounded genre. She created and showran Amazon Prime Video's 'Rangeen' (2025) and has written for major platforms including Hotstar's 'Roar of the Lion.’ She'll be answering questions about what's actually happening in the TV business right now and will discuss the decision-making behind Rangeen: Story, Tone and Character.

If you would like to join the Writers’ Room, access weekly events, submit to dozens of open writing assignments, and attend exclusive pitch tanks with industry executives- click HERE for a free trial!

This Week’s Exciting Announcements!

This week, we're thrilled to spotlight a Stage 32 Executive & Member who is now in development with 2 Stage 32 writers and in pre-production on his own script!

Justin Kohlas - Screenwriter!

Congratulations to Stage 32 Exec Justin Kholas who is in development with two Stage 32 writers and was recently featured in Deadline for having his own script slated for production in fall 2026!

Justin Kohlas is a writer and producer with projects spanning television, film, and book adaptations. He has pitched to Universal Television, Lionsgate, Skydance, and many other companies. He is currently developing THE NEW YORK TIMES bestseller THE OVERNIGHT GUEST by HEATHER GUDENKAUF into a television series with NCIS: LOS ANGELES star DANIELA RUAH. He also served as a writer on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, producing his own episodes under EMMY-nominated showrunner R. SCOTT GEMMILL (creator of THE PITT).

Justin is an executive producer on the upcoming feature SHATTERED SKIES, produced alongside PASTIME PICTURES (MONSTER SUMMER starring MEL GIBSON and MASON THAMES of THE BLACK PHONE and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON). He is also in development on THE LEDGE: AN ADVENTURE STORY OF FRIENDSHIP AND SURVIVAL ON MOUNT RAINIER by JIM DAVIDSON and KEVIN VAUGHAN with OSCAR-winning producers ACE CONTENT (FREE SOLO). His company, KIMBERMARK, will premiere its latest film, HIDE, at SCREAMFEST in Los Angeles this October. DAN LIU (STAR TREK, THE WALKING DEAD) is attached to direct his original screenplay TAKE ME TO THE LAKE, co-written with MATTHEW MIKITA, which he will also executive produce.

If you'd like to speak with Justin, he's available for consultations right here on Stage 32! Just click here.

We've Officially Announced Our Search For New Blood Contest WINNER!

Selma Karayalcin - Screenplay: Witch Mother!

As The Grand Prize Winning screenwriter, Selma will receive:

• Mammoth Pictures Talent Incubator placement for script development and packaging with Mammoth Pictures (THE NIGHT, PARALLEL)
• Career Accelerator Prize Package ($4,000 value), including script development, career consulting, writer branding, and comprehensive education resources
• Personal Mentorship Track with dedicated 1:1 career development sessions from our Stage 32 Success Team
• Industry Marketing Campaign promoting her to our exclusive roster of 2,500+ managers, agents, producers, and executives
• Strategy Partnership where Stage 32 and Mammoth Pictures executives collaborate to prepare her project to take directly to market

A Note From The Previous Winner, Travis J. Opgenorth

Last year's New Blood winner, Travis J. Opgenorth, optioned his winning script, THE WHISPERERS, to Producer Jeremy Elliott of Broken Time Entertainment through a meeting set up by Stage 32. Travis also received multiple offers to sign with literary managers, eventually signing with Marc Manus of Persistent Entertainment.

"I’m Travis J. Opgenorth, winner of Stage 32’s Search for New Blood Competition, and my experience with Stage 32 has been above and beyond expectations. Stage 32 introduced me to nearly a dozen industry pros—people like manager Jake Wagner, and producers like Ethan Erwin and Jeremy Elliott. It was a level of exposure not many contest organizers can match, and it resulted in Jeremy Elliott optioning my winning script.

The most impressive part of the process was Stage 32’s genuine, vested interest in creating opportunities for me. They truly want to see writers succeed and create real opportunities. Amazing! Stage 32 isn’t about a quick win and a pat on the back. They’re serious about opening doors. If you’re looking for a place to start, or a place to grow, you need to look at Stage 32."

Join a Conversation That Will Shape the Next Chapter of Our Industry

Before we wrap this up, I want to point you toward a critical conversation happening right now in the Producing Lounge that every creative should be paying close attention to:

Christopher Nolan on the Stakes Ahead of 2026 Bargaining — What Producers Should Be Paying Attention To

This isn’t just a headline to skim or a post to bookmark for later. As the newly elected President of the DGA, Nolan is speaking directly to issues that will fundamentally shape how projects are financed, produced, staffed, and sustained over the next several years. Healthcare and pension stability, AI protections, residuals and backend participation, domestic production incentives — these are not abstract union talking points. They directly affect budgets, deal structures, schedules, locations, and long-term career viability for everyone in this business.

What makes this conversation especially important is that it’s already evolving. Right here on Stage 32, guild experts, producers, and AI experts have begun weighing in with firsthand insight, asking hard questions, and unpacking what these negotiations could realistically mean on the ground.

But this is not a spectator sport. This is a conversation you need to be part of. Read the post. Ask questions. Share your perspective. Challenge assumptions. This dialogue will continue throughout the year as negotiations develop — and understanding these issues now puts you in a far stronger position moving forward.

Click here to jump into the conversation in the Producing Lounge and add your voice. We want to hear from you.

Need help navigating the industry? Contact success@stage32.com

Stage 32 has hundreds of opportunities. Reach out to our success team at any time for personal guidance and career advice.

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