Just weeks after the 2026 Writers Guild Awards where Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another took home top honors the race for the 2026 Cannes Marché du Film has officially reached a fever pitch. With the April 14 registration deadline looming, sales agents across Europe and the U.S. are reporting a record number of "unfinished" projects being registered. This surge aims to capitalize on a post-WGA trend: a market hungry for character-driven, original screenplays over tired franchise IP. Industry insiders suggest that major streaming platforms are already moving to lock down the most promising scripts before the May market even begins.
Are we seeing a genuine shift back to original storytelling, or is this just a pre-Cannes hype bubble driven by the recent WGA success?
Which would you rather see dominate the market: a high-concept original script or the next big franchise installment? Join the debate below!
Source: https://www.efp-online.com/news/public-call-for-fss-at-marchedufilm-2026
Are we seeing a genuine shift back to original storytelling, or is this just a pre-Cannes hype bubble driven by the recent WGA success?
Which would you rather see dominate the market: a high-concept original script or the next big franchise installment? Join the debate below!
Source: https://www.efp-online.com/news/public-call-for-fss-at-marchedufilm-2026
