EXCLUSIVE: Last year, we reported on a comedy screenwriting contest teaming Stage 32, Pathfinder Media, and director Todd Biermann (Mythic Quest, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) — and now, we have the winner.
Ted Sperling has taken the grand prize for Treasure Inc., an ensemble comedy that will now enter development with Sperling, Pathfinder Media’s Mark Wheeler, and Biermann working together to bring the project to market. Stage 32’s Richard “RB” Botto and Geoffroy Faugérolas are attached as EPs.
“Treasure Inc. is a propulsive ensemble comedy with elevated stakes, genuine heart, and an original voice that also feels familiar,” said Biermann. “Ted Sperling wrote a screenplay that plays like a crowd-pleaser and earns every beat of it. I’m excited to work with him.”
A Los Angeles-based writer whose digital work has amassed over a billion views on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, Sperling worked at Lionsgate before segueing into a Writers’ PA job on the Mitch Hurwitz-created show Running Wilde. He went through the Fox Writers Program and the Upright Citizens Brigade, was named to The Tracking Board’s list of Young and Hungry Writers in 2014, and has developed multiple projects with production companies.
Two honorable mentions for the fellowship were also awarded. Lissette R. Jean-Marie received the Feature recognition for Book F*cker, with Biermann calling it “sharp, current, and unique — guided by a crystal clear voice and authentic POV” written for the BookTok generation.
The TV Pilot honor went to the writing duo of Emma Pyne and Sarina Taylor for Safe Word.
“They cracked something genuinely hard to pull off — a pitch-black comedy with heart,” said Biermann. “Sharp comic instincts, genuine structural skill, and rarer still, the ability to give a dirty, raucous premise genuine emotional weight.”
Stage 32’s Faugérolas told us, “Working with Mark and Todd has been a true honor — the level of dedication they have shown to these writers is second to none. What we’re doing together goes beyond a contest. We’re discovering new voices, empowering emerging creators, and breaking down the barriers that have historically made Hollywood inaccessible to so many. That’s what Stage 32 has always been about, and this partnership is a powerful extension of that mission.”
While Treasure Inc. is being developed and shopped with the full backing of Stage 32 and Pathfinder Media, the writers of both honorable mentions will also be paired with mentors and judges from 3Pas Studios, Elevate Entertainment, Epigram Entertainment, and additional industry partners, for support in development of their projects.
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