J.J. Abrams Parks His Bad Robot on the Paramount Lot Until 2013
Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on March 27, 2009
Producer, director, eye glass wearing super entertainment machine J.J. Abrams decided this week to extend the deal the keeps his production company, Bad Robot, and Paramount Pictures in bed together making movies. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Abrams and producing partner Bryan Burk have decided to sign an extended first look deal with Paramount, parking them on the lot until 2013. “Bad Robot has had an incredibly fun and productive collaboration with Paramount,” Abrams said. “We are all so grateful for their amazing support and creative team and feel like we’re just getting started.”
The two studios, which came together for the first time to produce Cloverfield, which hit theaters in January of 2008 and brought home $168 million, will release Star Trek in May, then begin production on Morning Glory, a comedy starring Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams, currently scheduled for a 2010 release. Another interesting tidbit is that among the various projects in development, Bad Robot is still eying a “potential franchise” in the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, which is on the list for Abrams and Lost co-producer Damon Lindelof after they close the book on Lost in 2010. So don’t look for that to be getting too much traction any time soon, just know that it’s still on the list.
What does this all mean to you? Not much, actually. I just had a really great title idea so I thought it would be worth a mention. Also, it ensures that Abrams and Paramount will continue what has started as a very good partnership. Assuming Star Trek turns out to be a winner, they would be two for two with quality, commercially viable releases. Not to mention the Lost phenomenon. Personally, I’m interested to see if they go through with the secret “earthquake-centered project” being written by The Omen scribe David Seltzer. Based on the limited details we have about the project, it sounds like it could be interesting.
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