Catya McMullen Logline: In a near-future America where a mandatory "National Empathy Test" is required for employment and citizenship, a brilliant but apathetic physics student discovers a loophole that could destroy the entire system.

Why it stands out: This is the script that Sony fast-tracked with Bad Times at the El Royale director Drew Goddard attached and Austin Butler set to star. The 1990s neo-noir vibe—gritty, violent, and dripping with dark humor—made it the most "commercial" pick in the top three. It's the script every action-star hungry actor wanted to read.

Ben Shattuck (based on his short story) Logline: Two young men in rural Vermont during World War I set out to record the dying voices, folk songs, and stories of their neighbors onto wax cylinders, only to realize they are falling in love as America falls into chaos.