Originals, Indies & 'Sinners' Impact: 2025 Q1 Deals Report
Even big reps are seeing a profitable path outside of the studio system
I write for paid subscribers and today have my second in a two-part report looking at the year-to-date in deals. In part one, I gave a studio-by-studio look at overalls and first-look deals as well as how reps are handling the 'purgatory' of the Paramount-Skydance limbo. Today I share intel on the state of dealmaking in original films. Reach me at ashley@theankler.com
What do a $90 million hit film and a viral $5,000 short have in common?
They represent the two poles of where dealmakers see opportunities for original ideas in Hollywood right now.
Both Ryan Coogler’s ultrasuccessful Sinners and the short film The Crossing Over Express illustrate why there’s more proof than ever that non-IP-based ideas can work if you’re willing to take a shot. (I hope you read my colleague Nicole LaPorte’s excellent feature on Eli Roth, Robert Rodriguez and the resurgence of crowdfunding to get original ideas made. I will be following up on this development before long.)
In today’s dynamic environment, a hit creates a waterfall effect and you have to be ready to capitalize on those takeaways — and identify the right lessons from them — if you want to seize the moment before it’s come and gone.
You think you know why Sinners matters, but many of the headlines about it have been woefully out of touch. Then there’s the hidden gem The Crossing Over Express, which points a new way forward for how reps should be thinking about how — and when — to score a deal.
In this issue, we’ll cover . . .
How Sinners’ success is about to change the market for the better
Why one top agent thinks studios are about to change what they’re willing to greenlight
Where a studio exec recommends taking your project if you’re frustrated dealing with people like him
How self-releasing The Crossing Over Express led to a profusion of opportunities
Why talent needs to embrace a “proof of concept” mentality and channel their inner Ryan Reynolds
What the manager of one of the principals behind The Crossing Over Express did to transform the project into a calling card
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