The Black List is a famous Hollywood list of the best, or at least most popular, screenplays “compiled every year from the suggestions of 311 film executives, each contributes the names of up to ten of their favorite scripts that were written in, or are somehow uniquely associated with, 2009 and will not be released in theaters during this calendar year.”

For a pdf of the full list of 97 scripts click here. For the official website and Black List blog click here.  Read on for a sampling of what’s on the list:

THE MUPPET MAN by Christopher Weekes
“The life story and tragic early death of Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Bill Weinstein, Adriana Alberghetti
MANAGER Circle of Confusion – Britton Rizzio, Lawrence Mattis, Kelly McCormack
Jim Henson Company producing.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK by Aaron Sorkin
“The story of the founders of the social networking website Facebook and how overnight
success and wealth changed their lives.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – Ari Emanuel, Jason Spitz
Sony. Scott Rudin Productions, Michael De Luca Productions, Cean Chaffin, and Dana
Brunetti producing

THE VOICES by Michael Perry
“A disturbed man attempts to walk the straight-and-narrow while receiving advice from
his ‘talking’ pets.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Charlie Ferraro, Jenny Maryasis
MANAGER Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment – Aaron Kaplan, Sean Perrone
Vertigo Entertainment producing.

PRISONERS by Aaron Guzikowski
“After his six-year-old daughter and her friend are kidnapped, a small town carpenter
butts heads with a young, brash detective in charge of the investigation. Feeling
failed by the law, he captures the man he believes responsible, holding him captive in
a desperate attempt to find out what he did with the girls, whom he’s convinced are
still alive. But the further he’s forced to go to get the man to confess, the closer he
comes to losing his soul.”
AGENT William Morris Endeavor – David Karp, Rich Cook, Adam Levine
MANAGER Madhouse Entertainment
Warner Brothers. Alcon Entertainment, Madhouse Entertainment and Kira Davis producing.

CEDAR RAPIDS by Phil Johnston
“After his co-worker dies from auto-erotic asphyxiation, an emotionally stunted
insurance salesman from small town Wisconsin takes the man’s place at the division
insurance convention in Iowa City, IA, only to find himself coming out of his shell as
he bonds with his fellow conventioneers and gradually uncovers a money laundering
scheme involving his employer.”
AGENT United Talent Agency – Jason Burns
MANAGER Industry Entertainment – Eryn Brown
Fox Searchlight. Ad Hominem Enterprises producing.

LONDONGRAD by David Scarpa
“Based on the book by Alan Cowell. The story of the life and subsequent poisoning death
of Alexander Litvinenko, a former officer of the Russian Federal Security Service, who
escaped prosecution in Russia and received political asylum in the United Kingdom.”
AGENT HML – Bob Hohman, Bayard Maybank, Devra Lieb
Warner Brothers. Initial Entertainment Group and Infinitum Nihil producing.