as in scripts
the written form of a story prepared for film production
each actor will be given a copy of the screenplay to study
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Recent Examples of screenplays
Shaw was also renowned as a writer of multiple novels, plays, and screenplays.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026
The event showcases talent across feature screenplays and television pilots, spotlighting emerging creatives who push the boundaries of storytelling.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 16 June 2026
In an industry where roughly one in 4,000 screenplays leads to a profitable theatrical outcome, my take is that people who don’t need a framework are the outliers.
—Daren Smith, IndieWire, 27 May 2026
The screenplays were written by José Rivera, Natalia Santa, Camila Brugés and María Camila Arias.
—Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Koepp has written original and adapted screenplays across a wide array of genres.
—Darryn King, Vanity Fair, 19 May 2026
Another literary giant who wrote screenplays was Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez, author of One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967).
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
In the writing categories, the rules now formally codify that screenplays must be human-authored to qualify.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 1 May 2026
More information about each of this year’s screenplays, provided by the Purple List team, follows.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 20 June 2026
The event showcases talent across feature screenplays and television pilots, spotlighting emerging creatives who push the boundaries of storytelling.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 16 June 2026
In an industry where roughly one in 4,000 screenplays leads to a profitable theatrical outcome, my take is that people who don’t need a framework are the outliers.
—Daren Smith, IndieWire, 27 May 2026
The screenplays were written by José Rivera, Natalia Santa, Camila Brugés and María Camila Arias.
—Veronica Villafañe, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Koepp has written original and adapted screenplays across a wide array of genres.
—Darryn King, Vanity Fair, 19 May 2026
Another literary giant who wrote screenplays was Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez, author of One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967).
—René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 May 2026
In the writing categories, the rules now formally codify that screenplays must be human-authored to qualify.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 1 May 2026
More information about each of this year’s screenplays, provided by the Purple List team, follows.
—Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for screenplays
scripts
Noun
-
Since landing the rights in 2020, the studio has been developing a number of scripts to get this property greenlit but nothing has stuck.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
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That’s thanks to the show’s terrific cast, of course, but the actors are given a lot to work with in the smart, snappy scripts.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
ArsTechnica,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Screenplays.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/screenplays. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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