The Art Of Writing High Concept

Yes, spec screenplay sales are happening, and there’s real momentum building. This past summer alone, major studios and streamers snapped up 23 original spec scripts and pitches - the highest number since 2017 and a clear uptick from last year. That’s a promising sign for screenwriters with bold ideas and cinematic visions.

And the good news keeps coming.

On October 9, 2025, Deadline reported that two original spec scripts sold to major studios. While a sale isn’t a guarantee of production, it’s a powerful signal: Hollywood is actively investing in original stories.

Here are the two exciting new specs that just sold:

• Crush – A survival thriller set in the Everglades, where a woman wakes to find herself trapped in the crushing coils of a massive python.
• Five Secrets – Set in a world where everyone has five secrets they've never shared, and if even one gets out, the person who knows it gains control over them.
  These are perfect examples of what continues to break through: high-concept ideas that hook you instantly.

Curious about the bigger trend? Check out The Return of the Spec Screenplay Sale for a deep dive into what’s selling and why.

Most of this year’s spec sales fall into two powerhouse categories: high concept and thrillers. These stories offer clear stakes, emotional payoff, and marketable hooks that make execs - and audiences - lean in.

Even if high concept isn’t your usual style, it’s worth thinking in those terms. A sharp, unique premise can be the difference between a script that gets read and one that gets shelved. Anyone can write a screenplay, but writing one that grabs attention, sells, and maybe even gets made? That’s the dream.

A high concept movie is a story with a simple, catchy premise that has mass audience appeal.

Examples of High Concept:

• Jurassic Park: A group of scientists must try to escape a remote island after cloned dinosaurs escape their enclosures.
• Liar Liar: A lawyer is unable to tell a lie for 24 hours
• Speed: A terrorist puts a bomb on a bus that will explode if the bus slows below 50 m.p.h.
• Bruce Almighty: A regular guy becomes God
• Jaws: A shark terrorizes a tourist town’s beach on July 4th weekend
• Sharknado: Tornadoes in Los Angeles pick sharks up out of the ocean and drop them on land

High concept goes beyond writing the screenplay. It’s a story that’s easy to sell, produce and market. 

Here are some tried-and-true high concept ideas that have stood the test of time:

• Disasters: Disaster movies are considered high concept because they feature easily pitchable premises with broad appeal, often centered around large-scale catastrophes and dramatic visual spectacle that can be summarized in a single, gripping sentence.
  • Twisters: Tornado chasers chase tornadoes.
  • Volcano: A volcano suddenly rises up in the middle of Los Angeles
  • Don’t Look Up: A meteor is headed to earth and the government scrambles to decide what to do about it
• Terrorists: Terrorists are immediately the bad guy in a movie and require a hero to save the day.
  • Air Force One: Terrorists hijack Air Force One
  • Die Hard: A cop must save the day when terrorists take his wife and work colleagues hostage at a Christmas Eve party
• Law Enforcement: Cop movies can also be high concept, depending on the premise, but the presence of law enforcement alone doesn't automatically make the story high concept or plot-driven.
  • Beverly Hills Cop: A Detroit cop heads to Beverly Hills to try to solve his best friend’s murder
  • Bullitt: A detective investigates the murder of a witness who died while under his protection
  • Heat: A by-the-book FBI agent and an erratic Boston cop team up to capture a drug lord

These are just a few examples of popular high concept movies, but there are plenty more examples out there, especially in the action and comedy genres.

While plot drives a high-concept story, strong character development is just as important. If you don’t create characters the audience wants to follow, they won’t care what the movie is about. Characters need to be more than one-dimensional, they must have clear motivations behind their actions.

Take Armageddon, a ’90s disaster film that drew audiences in with its high-concept premise: oil drillers are sent into space to stop a world-ending asteroid. But once viewers are in their seats, it’s the characters that keep them invested. Each character has a personal reason for risking their life, often tied to saving the world and protecting loved ones.

Even in high-concept worlds, complex characters like James Bond, Sarah Connor, and Indiana Jones bring depth and emotional weight to their stories.

So dream big, aim high, and write the kind of story that makes people sit up and say, “I have to see that!” A high-concept spec screenplay isn't just a calling card. It’s your chance to showcase your creativity, originality, and voice in a way that grabs attention fast. When done right, it can open doors, spark industry buzz, and launch careers. So take that bold idea, pair it with unforgettable characters, and get writing - the next breakout hit could be yours.