Franklin Leonard
@franklinleonard.bsky.social
The Black List founder. Film & TV producer. Politics & Football person. Vanity Fair contributing editor.
2-1 heartbreak to England in the Round of 32. Sadly, we now know the end of DR Congo's extraordinary World Cup story. Take a moment to read how it began: the improbable road, and the faith, it took just to get here. My piece for @vanityfair.com www.vanityfair.com/preview/arti...
Three Nations Went to Mexico to Fight for One Spot at the World Cup. These Are Their Stories.
The World Cup is the biggest event in human history. This summer, it's coming to North America. But in Guadalajara this spring, as three nations scrapped for a single ticket to the big show, Franklin ...
vanityfair.com
2-1 heartbreak to England in the Round of 32. Sadly, we now know the end of DR Congo's extraordinary World Cup story. Take a moment to read how it began: the improbable road, and the faith, it took just to get here. My piece for @vanityfair.com www.vanityfair.com/preview/arti...
Three Nations Went to Mexico to Fight for One Spot at the World Cup. These Are Their Stories.
The World Cup is the biggest event in human history. This summer, it's coming to North America. But in Guadalajara this spring, as three nations scrapped for a single ticket to the big show, Franklin ...
vanityfair.com
I picked up a physical copy of this issue of Vanity Fair just for @franklinleonard.bsky.social’s article below (which is great), but also…look at the cover
Franklin Leonard@franklinleonard.bsky.social · 2mo agoI wrote 4,500 words on the 2026 World Cup qualification playoff for the current issue of Vanity Fair Today, DR Congo opens its World Cup against Portugal You may have seen the photos of their iconic arrival, but this is the story of how they got here. www.vanityfair.com/preview/arti...
Got an unpublished or self-published horror novel? lithub.com/the-black-li...
The Black List and Zando are hunting for the next great horror novel.
Attention, thrill-seekers. The Black List and Zando are teaming up on a mission to identify the next great horror novelist. Could it be you? The inaugural Evil Twin Manuscript Initiative will selec…
lithub.com
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Franklin Leonard@franklinleonard.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe Black List’s public portal for submissions opened last Monday. It stays open until July 6 or until we hit 2500 submissions, and it looks like the latter will be the constraint. Just FYI if you plan to submit that way. blcklst.com/programs/the...
As I post this right now, 44 spots remain. Now or never if you’re interested.
Franklin Leonard@franklinleonard.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe Black List’s public portal for submissions opened last Monday. It stays open until July 6 or until we hit 2500 submissions, and it looks like the latter will be the constraint. Just FYI if you plan to submit that way. blcklst.com/programs/the...
I wrote 4,500 words on the 2026 World Cup qualification playoff for the current issue of Vanity Fair Today, DR Congo opens its World Cup against Portugal You may have seen the photos of their iconic arrival, but this is the story of how they got here. www.vanityfair.com/preview/arti...
Three Nations Went to Mexico to Fight for One Spot at the World Cup. These Are Their Stories.
The World Cup is the biggest event in human history. This summer, it's coming to North America. But in Guadalajara this spring, as three nations scrapped for a single ticket to the big show, Franklin ...
vanityfair.com
The Black List’s public portal for submissions opened last Monday. It stays open until July 6 or until we hit 2500 submissions, and it looks like the latter will be the constraint. Just FYI if you plan to submit that way. blcklst.com/programs/the...
I wrote 4,500 words on the 2026 World Cup qualification playoff for the current issue of Vanity Fair Today, DR Congo opens its World Cup against Portugal You may have seen the photos of their iconic arrival, but this is the story of how they got here. www.vanityfair.com/preview/arti...
Three Nations Went to Mexico to Fight for One Spot at the World Cup. These Are Their Stories.
The World Cup is the biggest event in human history. This summer, it's coming to North America. But in Guadalajara this spring, as three nations scrapped for a single ticket to the big show, Franklin ...
vanityfair.com
I've spent months speaking to current & retired Black service members about being part of the military in this political moment. What I found were officers and soldiers despondent at the resurgence of racism, yet often insistent that they were fighting for what this country could be, not what it is.
The Betrayal of Black Patriots
They devoted their lives to serving the United States. Now the nation’s top military leader is sending the message that they’re not welcome.
theatlantic.com
Every text I send my friends includes a brief bio of myself in case they forgot
Last year, @theblcklst.bsky.social recommended 25 scripts for Nicholl Fellowship consideration from its public portal, <25% of the scripts considered by the Academy. 5 of the 10 finalists were Black List recommendations. Submissions are open for 2026-2027 now. blcklst.com/nicholl
IndieWire@indiewire.com · 2mo agoThe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has 55 partners for Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting 2026-2027 submissions, now including USC.
They tried to break up her district to bury her. She won the new district in a walk. And now she’s overperformed every expectation in the Mayoral primary.
Taniel@taniel.bsky.social · 2mo agofrom a 2023 article: "Nithya Raman turned into a political celebrity when she emerged as the face of a rising progressive vanguard to campaign for the Los Angeles Council in 2020... Raman wound up receiving more votes than any council member in the city’s history & [drew] comparisons to AOC."
Conversation with WSJ Live is available now wherever you crazy kids get your podcast conversations about labor market economics. open.spotify.com/episode/66bc...
Why Hollywood Can't Find Good Scripts
The Journal. · Episode
open.spotify.com
Just The Most Left™ candidate out here making nice with a psychotic fascist who wants to put the homeless in concentration camps before deleting the tweet
Not the Arsenal thobe! My mayor, your smoke too strong. Your swag too different.
Went to Guadalajara at the end of March and wrote for Vanity Fair about history, colonialism, football, faith, one my doppelgängers, and three teams' quest to qualify for the World Cup. www.vanityfair.com/culture/stor...
Three Nations Went to Mexico to Fight for One Spot at the World Cup. These Are Their Stories.
The World Cup is the biggest event in human history. This summer, it's coming to North America. But in Guadalajara this spring, as three nations scrapped for a single ticket to the big show, Franklin ...
vanityfair.com
Great scripts never die. THE BRIGANDS OF RATTLEBORGE by Craig Zahler. Black List 2006 to Present.
Watch an in-depth conversation about all things screenwriting with @franklinleonard.bsky.social and @leejessup.bsky.social here: buff.ly/Ksoakrj
Calling all Authors Guild members! Join @franklinleonard.bsky.social and Randy Winston for a FREE virtual event with @authorsguild.org on April 14 at 4PM PT/7PM ET. Learn more here: authorsguild.org/event/the-bl...
Eight years ago! Gah! I wrote a script about Bob Hope that was on @theblcklst.bsky.social, and we did a live read with an amazing cast assembled by said Black List. My many thanks to @franklinleonard.bsky.social and everyone invovled. www.threads.com/@theblcklst/...
The Black List (@theblcklst) on Threads
Eight years ago, we brought @benjy.schwartz’s 2011 annual Black List script THAT KIND OF A WAR (fka HOME BY CHRISTMAS - BOB HOPE IN KOREA) to the BlackListLive stage TheMontalban! @pattonoswalt, @al...
threads.com
2025-2026 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Announced! Writer names, script titles, loglines - all detailed here. I've interviewed every Nicholl fellow since 2012. Look forward to this year's in-depth screenwriting conversations! www.patreon.com/posts/153779... #screenwriting
New data study available over on @theblcklst.bsky.social's Substack: The Anatomy of a Score - Part 1. open.substack.com/pub/blcklst/...
Congratulations to the fellows and finalists selected for the 2025-2026 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting! Read more about their projects in The Hollywood Reporter: www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
The Black List referred 50% of the Top Ten - 5 scripts - despite only 25 overall referrals from the site Punching above their weight!
Franklin Leonard@franklinleonard.bsky.social · 4mo ago5 of the top 10 were recommended by the Black List. 5 of the 25 that the Black List recommended were finalists or fellows. www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
5 of the top 10 were recommended by the Black List. 5 of the 25 that the Black List recommended were finalists or fellows. www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie...
Film Academy Awards Five Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting
The talent development program supports non-professional screenwriters.
hollywoodreporter.com
Everyone say thank you @franklinleonard.bsky.social!
Opinion | Hollywood’s Anti-Black Bias Costs It $10 Billion a Year (Published 2021)
nytimes.com
Rude1 Haunted Badness. ⁂@rude1.blacksky.team · 5mo ago> Films with casts that were 41–50% BIPOC performed the best across several categories, including the highest median global and domestic box office receipts, the largest average theater releases, the highest average opening-weekend rank, and the widest international distribution. Shout out my DEIs
I cannot endorse Black List password sharing even when it has a very happy ending (and an SXSW premiere starring William H Macy, Natalie Morales, Randall Park, and Edi Patterson is definitely a very happy ending.) variety.com/2026/film/co...
Actor-Turned-Director Will Ropp on Tackling Mental Health Issues in ‘Brian’: ‘The Comedy and Tragedy Is All Mixed Up in a Smorgasbord’
Actor-turned-director Will Ropp talks about tackling mental health in his directorial debut "Brian" ahead of its SXSW premiere.
variety.com