Franklin Leonard, Founder of The Black List

In 2005, Franklin Leonard was working for Leonardo DiCaprio's production company, looking for great stories that went beyond the Hollywood franchises and sequels that seemed to be ever-present. So he sent a survey to a few film executives with one simple question: What was the best script you read this year that still hasn't been made into a feature film? Since then, The Black List has catalyzed the writer/producer partnerships that have resulted in over 225 films, including Juno, Lars and the Real Girl, The King's Speech, Argo and The Social Network. Films that appeared on The Black List have earned over $19 billion worldwide, and won 35 Academy Awards. Founder Franklin Leonard joins Elvis to talk about the inherent activism in what he's doing, and how he chose the name "The Black List" in order to subvert the paradigm he heard growing up, that Black somehow equaled Bad.

Banner image courtesy of Franklin Leonard