Blacklisted

T.J. Fixman

What does it take to write one of the biggest movies in Netflix history — from scratch? This week, we sit down with screenwriter T.J. Fixman, the man behind Carry-On — the Christmas action thriller that broke Netflix records, racked up over 172 million views, and sparked a genuine cultural debate: is this the new Die Hard? Before he was writing Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman into one of the most-watched original films on the planet, Fixman was crafting narratives for video games — most notably the beloved Ratchet & Clank franchise. So how does a game writer crack Hollywood's most coveted genre: the contained, high-concept, race-against-the-clock thriller? We also talk about the Die Hard question, building a villain you never quite see, writing Christmas into the DNA of an action film without making it a gimmick — and what's coming next with his new project The Seventh Man. If you've ever stared at a blank page wondering how a single high-concept idea becomes a global phenomenon, this one's for you. Useful Links: Carry-On on Netflix [https://www.netflix.com/title/81476963] Most Popular Movies on Netflix - Carry-On at #3 [https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/most-popular] Seventh Man sells to United Artists - Variety [https://variety.com/2025/film/news/united-artists-scott-stuber-action-thriller-seventh-man-carry-writer-tj-fixman-1236438473/]

David Boxerbaum

In this bonus episode, host Chris Hill sits down with David Boxerbaum, partner at Verve Talent & Literary Agency and one of the most respected literary agents working in the spec script market today. Named to The Hollywood Reporter's "Next Generation 35 Under 35" at just 26 years old, Boxerbaum has built his reputation on landing six-and seven-figure spec sales for his clients — and he's not done yet. Useful Links: 'Don't Go In The Water' sells to Universal - Deadline [https://deadline.com/2019/05/verve-spec-deal-wga-universal-dont-go-in-the-water-spec-1202623213/] Chris Pine to star in Netflix survival thriller 'Yeti' [https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/yeti-release-date] Python Thriller Spec 'Crush' sells to 20th - Deadline [https://deadline.com/2025/10/crush-spec-john-fischer-sells-20th-century-studios-1236574771/] Skydance buys short story 'Drift' for $2M+ [https://deadline.com/2025/05/skydance-andy-muschietti-sci-fi-auction-drift-space-hostage-film-1236393620/] 'Cola Wars' Pitch sells to Sony - Deadline [https://deadline.com/2024/02/cola-wars-movie-coke-vs-pepsi-1235835546/] Apatow and Spielberg attached to 'Cola Wars' - Deadline [https://deadline.com/2024/09/cola-wars-judd-apatow-steven-spielberg-movie-coke-vs-pepsi-1236085093/] Veteran lit agent joins Verve - Variety [https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/lit-agent-david-boxerbaum-joins-verve-talent-and-literary-agency-1202604523/]

Jon Hersh

In 2022, the script that rose to the very top of the Black List was Pure, a psychological horror-thriller about a woman whose obsession with food purity unravels into madness at her sister's destination wedding. The writer was Catherine Schetina, best known for her work on the acclaimed Hulu drama The Bear. The manager behind her? Jon Hersh. Jon founded Night Drive Management in 2017 with one clear mission: find bold voices with incendiary material. Since then, he's built a roster of writers and writer-directors whose work has landed at Universal, Netflix, Amazon, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount Players, AMC, and beyond — and whose scripts have become a regular fixture on the Black List year after year. In this episode, Jon pulls back the curtain on what it actually takes to compete at the highest level of the spec market. Jon also reflects on his path from story analyst at CAA to development executive at Broad Green Pictures before ultimately founding his own company, and what each stop taught him about the business of discovering and developing great writers. Useful links: "Pure" tops the Black List [https://deadline.com/2022/12/black-list-2022-unveiled-updating-live-1235194897/] in 2022. Night Drive Management Website [https://nightdrivela.com/]. Yoko Ono Biopic, "Oh Yoko!", lands on Black List 2025 [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2025-black-list-yoko-ono-kobe-bryant-1236445704/]. Short Story "Carrier" Sells to New Regency [https://deadline.com/2026/02/carrier-new-regency-aaron-benjamin-film-1236708900/].

Allan Mandelbaum

Before Allan was helping run production at one of Hollywood's most storied companies (Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment), he was a kid in the mailroom at Endeavor — sorting packages, learning the rhythm of the industry from the ground up. This week, he traces the full arc: from assistant at Fox 2000, to VP at Hugh Jackman's SEED Productions, to nearly a decade building a slate at Star Thrower Entertainment that quietly became one of the most enviable track records in the business. We dig into the story of how Allan discovered Nora Garrett's spec After the Hunt — and what it took to recognize the material before anyone else did. Because that call paid off: the script sold to Amazon-MGM with Julia Roberts attached and Luca Guadagnino (Challengers) set to direct. Allan breaks down the anatomy of that discovery — what he saw on the page, how the package came together, and what a sale like that actually feels like from the inside. We also get into the credits that shaped how he works: producing King Richard (Oscar winner, Warner Bros.), shepherding The Post alongside Steven Spielberg, landing Fair Play at Sundance and watching Netflix acquire it out of the festival, and the quiet cult success of No One Will Save You for Hulu and 20th Century. Plus: Ingrid Goes West, which took home Best First Feature at the Spirit Awards, and 8-Bit Christmas, for which he earned a PGA nomination. Useful Links: Imagine Entertainment [https://imagine-entertainment.com/] Star Thrower Entertainment [https://www.star-thrower.com/] Nora Garrett Interview - IndieWire [https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/after-the-hunt-screenwriter-nora-garrett-interview-1235154652/] After The Hunt - Deadline Article [https://deadline.com/2024/03/after-the-hunt-julia-roberts-luca-guadagnino-1235868780/] Fair Play Sells to Netflix - Variety [https://variety.com/2023/film/festivals/fair-play-sundance-film-festival-sale-netflix-1235498052/] Fair Play Sale - THR [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/netflix-buys-fair-play-phoebe-dynevor-sundance-1235306389/] The Post Director/Cast Announcement - Deadline [https://deadline.com/2017/03/steven-spielberg-tom-hanks-meryl-streep-pentagon-papers-the-post-amy-pascal-1202034193/] Amy Pascal Buys Spec Script, The Post - Deadline [https://deadline.com/2016/10/pentagon-papers-the-post-spec-script-amy-pascal-washington-post-1201845589/]

Zack Zucker

Manager Zack Zucker of Bellevue Productions — whose client Matisse Haddad landed the #1 Black List script of 2025 — breaks down the mistake that kills most screenwriting careers before they start: falling in love with the wrong kind of idea. Inspired by Franklin Leonard's viral essay "The Moral Case for Selling Out," we dig into why professional writers rarely make this error (their reps won't let them) and what the rest of us can do to vet our concepts before we've written ourselves into a corner. Useful links: Bellevue Productions Website⁠ [https://www.bellevueprods.com/ourteam] News of Zack's client's new film, "I Play Rocky" [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/i-play-rocky-lands-coveted-thanksgiving-2026-release-1236486566/] Zack's client tops Black List 2025 [https://d1dlq8f5fkueth.cloudfront.net/annual-lists/2025-v2.pdf] Zack's indie darling, The Novice [https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-novice/umc.cmc.4aozs38h7i0ci87lna4u38475], which he produced. Interview with Lee Jessup on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3il2gGMvgk]