Every memorable screen production begins with the script, and the film industry continues to lean on bold writing voices to revitalize both classic properties and original narratives. Variety has revealed its class of 10 Screenwriters to Watch for 2026, highlighting a dynamic roster of creators behind notable adaptations, personal indie dramas, and television revivals. The selected writers are set to be celebrated during a dedicated panel at the Santa Fe International Film Festival.
Revisiting Icons and Literary Classics
Among the honorees are writing partners Todd Bartels and Lou Howe, who broke through with "Tony," a feature that examines a pivotal summer in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where future culinary star Anthony Bourdain began washing dishes. Following their early collaboration on the Dolly Parton-centered Black List script "Dumb Blonde," the pair found creative focus by framing wide-reaching lives within brief, transformative windows. Their growing pipeline now includes an adaptation of the podcast "Murder 101" directed by Jon Watts, Sony's feature take on the video game "Metal Gear Solid," a look at the early days of MTV, and a project focused on the young Jackie Bouvier and John F. Kennedy.
Variety 2026 Screenwriters to Watch and Featured Projects
| Screenwriter(s) | Key Project | Format / Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Todd Bartels & Lou Howe | Tony | Feature Film |
| Beth De Araújo | Josephine | Feature Film |
| Chuko Esiri | Clarissa | Feature Film |
| Aleshea Harris | Is God Is | Feature Film |
| Rebekah Taussig | Being Heumann | Feature Film |
| Zoe Kazan | East of Eden | Netflix Limited Series |
| Kelly O'Sullivan | Mouse | Feature Film |
| Felicia Pride | A Different World | Netflix Series |
Literary reimaginings also anchor the recognition for Zoe Kazan and Chuko Esiri. Kazan took on showrunning duties for Netflix’s limited-series adaptation of John Steinbeck’s epic novel "East of Eden"—a title deeply tied to her family history, as her grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 movie. Kazan, who noted that parenthood reshaped her writing rhythm, felt the extensive multi-generational novel was best suited for serialized television rather than another feature film. Meanwhile, Nigerian filmmaker Chuko Esiri adapted Virginia Woolf’s "Mrs. Dalloway" into "Clarissa," resetting the narrative in modern Lagos to explore middle- and upper-class Nigerian life while highlighting shared colonial histories between Britain and Nigeria.
Authenticity Drives Personal and Historical Projects
For Rebekah Taussig, screenwriting emerged unexpectedly from a consulting role. The "Sitting Pretty" author joined director Siân Heder on "Being Heumann," chronicling disability rights trailblazer Judy Heumann and the 1970s activism behind Section 504. Taussig transitioned into co-writing the script with Heder, emphasizing that deep authenticity, including an honest depiction of romantic relationships for people with disabilities, enriches storytelling rather than simply meeting representational checkmarks.
Director and writer Beth De Araújo applied her sociology background from Berkeley to "Josephine," crafting a drama viewed entirely through the subjective lens of an eight-year-old child witnessing an act of violence. Having established the camera as her protagonist's eyes, De Araújo aims to explore different tones in the future, including a desire to write a sophisticated romantic comedy.
Stage Adaptations, Indie Reflections, and HBCU Heritage
Playwright Aleshea Harris turned her Obie Award-winning theatrical production "Is God Is" into a major feature, which she also directed. The Southern Gothic tale follows twin sisters seeking vengeance on their estranged father. Supported by producers Janicza Bravo, Jeremy O. Harris, and Tessa Thompson, Harris made her feature directorial debut while lining up future projects that include an Off-Broadway play titled "Feast of Rabbits" and a new television pilot.
In the indie sphere, Kelly O'Sullivan continued her thematic exploration of generational connection in "Mouse," which she penned and co-directed alongside partner Alex Thompson. Starring Katherine Mallen Kupferer and Sophie Okonedo, the film confronts the aftermath of a fatal car crash and was filmed in O'Sullivan's hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, during a period marked by personal loss.
Expanding back into television, Felicia Pride serves as creator, showrunner, and executive producer of Netflix's 10-episode follow-up to the 1987 sitcom "A Different World." Drawing from her background as a former college educator and impact producer, Pride established an HBCU Council to advise the writers' room and filmed on location across Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark Atlanta University, ensuring that students from historically Black colleges and universities made up 59 percent of the background cast.
Industry Recognition and What Comes Next
With projects spanning major video game franchises, historical activism, and prestige literary reinterpretations, the class reflects how screenwriters are navigating diverse avenues of production across traditional studios and streaming platforms. The Santa Fe International Film Festival will formally spotlight the cohort as their upcoming slate moves toward audiences and festival circuits worldwide.
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Source: Variety
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