Laugh List 2026 Selections Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE)

EXCLUSIVE: In June, we announced The Laugh List, a new ongoing survey recognizing the year’s most promising unproduced comedy screenplays, to be unveiled in association with Just for Laughs Montreal, amid the fest’s annual ComedyPRO marketplace. And now, we have the first annual selection.

The Laugh List’s inaugural edition recognizes 10 screenplays that emerged from a field of more than 40 nominated projects. The scripts are in various stages of development — some with studios attached and some not — and come from writers at every stage of their careers, from established professionals to scribes without representation. We previously broke news of deals for three: Gabe Delahaye’s I’d Like To Speak To Your Manager, This Could Be Our Night from brothers Justin & Jordan Shipley, and the Unt. Erotic Teen Fan Fiction Movie from Morgan Lehmann.

Laugh List scripts range in style, covering coming-of-age comedy, romantic comedy, historical comedy, political mockumentary, college comedy, dark comedy, and buddy comedy. They were selected by an anonymous voting body of more than a dozen feature comedy execs from many of the industry’s leading comedy production companies. Participating executives nominated the initial 40 unproduced comedy screenplays before reading the nominated scripts anonymously and voting to determine the final list.

Of the impetus for launching The Laugh List, founder Reg Tigerman said, “There is a widespread belief that Hollywood isn’t making enough great comedies anymore, but it’s not due to a lack of great material. We found an incredible depth of funny, original, commercially exciting scripts written by exceptionally talented writers. The challenge isn’t whether the material exists—it’s making sure the best work finds advocates. The Laugh List was created to celebrate those writers, encourage executives and producers to keep betting on original comedy, and help refill the pipeline with films audiences will one day quote, revisit, and hopefully experience together in theaters.”

The 2026 Laugh List can be viewed below and at this link.

David Bennet Needs a Friend
By Jon Eidson & Nick Smith
The world’s richest and loneliest man funnels his near infinite resources into making one friend.
Manager: 3 Arts – Zack Waxenberg
Studio / Producer: Hidden Pictures

The Flu Game
By Ajay Lalani & Anton Vayedjian
During the 1997 NBA Finals, four desperate Utah Jazz fans bet their life savings against the Chicago Bulls and hatch an idiotic plan to poison Michael Jordan, accidentally creating the infamous (and very real) “Flu Game.“
Agent: IAG – Daniel Leap
Studio / Producer: De Line Pictures

I’d Like To Speak To Your Manager
By Gabe Delahaye
Jake really really wants to return these stupid little paper towels!
Agent: UTA – Jenny Maryasis
Manager: Kaplan/Perrone – Aaron Kaplan, Michael Wilson
Studio / Producer: FilmNation, Fortunate Jack

Island Man
By Jesse Gordon
After heroically sacrificing himself to save a hijacked plane and spending five years on a deserted island, a roguish doctor returns from near-death to reunite with the love of his life – only to discover she has married a totally normal dude named Jake. But this isn’t the hero’s story. It’s Jake’s. And Jake is so f*cked.
Agent: UTA – Amanda Hymson, John Kaiser
Manager: Redefine – Michael Botti, Sarah Dodge
Studio / Producer: Universal, Point Grey, Jen D’Angelo, Lucas Koppel

Pistols @ 3:45
By Kim Seltzer & Aliya Kamalova
After a petty online feud between two local councilmen goes viral, the politicians are pressured by their small town into a real-life gun duel, leaving them both desperately trying to figure out how to get out of it without looking like a wuss.
Studio / Producer: Tam Sackman, Abso Lutely, Neon Heart

Rush
By Cassidy Alla & Read Masino
When a college student is sexually assaulted by a frat guy who faces no consequences, she and her best friend rush his fraternity undercover to get revenge – only to become the unlikely stars of Delta Iota Kappa’s pledge class and get in way too deep.
Agent: UTA – Anna Flickinger, John Kaiser
Manager: Mosaic – Drew Shenfield (Alla), Artists First – Haley Jones, Casey Neumeier (Masino)
Studio / Producer: Netflix, Berlanti, Schechter, Fierce Baby

This Could Be Our Night
By Justin Shipley & Jordan Shipley
After the release of a “crush list” throws the final night of high school into chaos, two best friends must sneak out to a wild graduation party so one of them can hook up with her longtime crush.
Agent: WME – Jeff Gorin, Connor Armstrong
Manager: Haven – Jesse Hara
Studio / Producer: Sony

This Planet is Fucking Awesome
By James Morosini
Twenty years after their best friend went missing, a group of stoner friends are zapped to a fun party planet where they find him alive. They must race across the planet before the only portal to  home closes forever.
Agent: CAA – Bryant Barile, Joe Mann
Manager: Range – Payne Cowley
Studio / Producer: 6^th & Idaho

Unt. Erotic Teen Fan Fiction Movie
By Morgan Lehmann
A teen virgin writing erotic fiction online must collaborate with her school’s promiscuous quarterback when asked to write about her nonexistent love life for a publisher.
Agent: CAA – Ilana Goren, Anna Jinks
Manager: Untitled – Harry Lengsfield
Studio / Producer: A24, Fruit Tree, Ley Line

Witch, Please
By Michael-Leon Wooley
Two Black wannabe‑viral ghost hunters are transported back to 1600s Massachusetts to defend a little white girl’s mother who’s been accused of being a witch.
Agent: UTA – Eni Akintade
Manager: Bleecker Street Ent. – Vincent Nastri
Studio / Producer: Macro, Hartbeat