Will Smith, Joel Edgerton to Star in David Ayer’s Cop Thriller ‘Bright’

[StarLord]

Max Landis wrote the script that CAA is currently shopping to studios, though Warner Bros. has the edge.

Will Smith and Joel Edgerton are attached to star in “Bright,” a cop thriller with fantasy elements that David Ayer will direct from a script by Max Landis (“Chronicle&#8221, TheWrap has learned.

CAA is currently shopping the project, though one insider suggests that Warner Bros. is the most likely home for the project, as the studio just wrapped Ayer’s “Suicide Squad” starring Smith.

“Bright” was one of 13 projects approved for a tax credit from the California Film Commission, and the company that submitted an application for that incentive was WB Studio Enterprises Inc. The state approved “Bright” for a tax credit worth $7.2 million — an indicator that the film will have a significant budget.

An individual familiar with the situation told TheWrap that “Bright” was poised to land at Warner Bros. but the deal never closed, prompting CAA to take the project out to the town. However, they cautioned that it could still land at Warners.

Set in a world where orcs and fairies live among humans, “Bright” boasts a unique protagonist in the form of an orc cop.

Ayer hopes to fit the project into his fall schedule before Warner Bros. brings him and Smith back for a planned “Suicide Squad” sequel in 2017.

http://www.thewrap.com/will-smith-joel-edgerton-to-star-in-david-ayers-cop-thriller-bright/

 

[Symbiotic]

I can't get excited about a film based on a Max Landis script.

 

[MadVillainy]

I saw this on Collider. Was excited till I saw Max Landis


EDIT: lol Symbiotic beat me to it

 

[dude stannis]

I dug the hell out of American Ultra and Ayer has become a muct see director after End of Watch and Fury. I'm totally in.

 

[Guts]

Will Smith playing an orc in a cop thriller, sounds awesome.

 

[Rocketman]

As much as I hate Landis, I can't turn down anything that Ayer does.

And it looks like Will Smith and David Ayer enjoyed working together, so that's great to hear!

 

[Lencho01]

Could be cool.

 

[Loden Greatstorm]

I saw this on Collider. Was excited till I saw Max Landis


EDIT: lol Symbiotic beat me to it

This!

 

[DeGenerate10]

All of this sounds good with the exception of Landis.

 

[Fallen Angel]

Netflix buying Will Smith-David Ayer supernatural cop movie 'Bright' http://thr.cm/FHzhKF

In its biggest movie deal yet, Netflix is getting into the movie business with Will Smith and David Ayer.

The company has come out on top of the bidding war and is in final negotiations for Bright, the magic-infused cop thriller package that has Will Smith and Joel Edgerton attached to star and Suicide Squad director David Ayer attached to direct.
Ayer re-wrote the script initially penned by Max Landis, the writer of Chronicle and American Ultra.

The story is described as a mixing of End of Watch, Ayer’s own gritty cop movie, and Alien Nation, the 1988 movie that starred James Caan and Mandy Patinkin as human and alien cop forced to work together.
In Bright, the setting is world where magical creatures live side by side with humans and the police have a division handling crimes involving magic. A human cop (Smith) is forced to work with an Orc (Edgerton) to find something that unsavory elements are prepared to kill for, a powerful wand.
Eric Newman and Bryan Unkeless are producing as is Landis.
Netflix has been making aggressive strides into movie content but for the most part, it’s efforts have been modestly-scaled and without true A-list power. It has a deal for a series of Adam Sandler comedies but Sandler is seen as an actor whose big-screen power has waned.
It made the acclaimed drama Beasts of No Nation with Idris Elba but that movie is said to have suffered during the Oscar race due to not being widely seen.
With Bright, it has a project that reunites Smith and Ayer, a duo that is generating heat due to the buzz on Warners’ Suicide Squad. The studio wants Ayer to jump into a sequel as soon as possible but insiders say that the director wanted to do something else first before returning to the land of DC villains.


The project was shopped as a film with a budget of $80 million-$100 million and required a production commitment - something that was a worry for some suitors. (One studio was ready to go all in at $55 million but that offer was rejected.) In the end, however, Netflix was willing to take the gamble.

 

[Chesterfield]

I'm not feeling Will Smith these days.

 

[Greens]

I'm not feeling Landis, but Ayer, Smith, Edgerton, yes!

 

[terry78]

I'm not feeling Will Smith these days.

Neither is Jada. OH!

Seriously though I feel he's getting back in the swing of things with Suicide Squad, Focus, Concussion, and now this. Taking on some more non conventional ****.

 

[mclay18]

Netflix is shelling out $90M for this movie. The movie will cost $45M to make, $3M for Landis' script, and the rest to cover talent fees and buy out their back end deals.

http://deadline.com/2016/03/netflix...vid-ayer-joel-edgerton-max-landis-1201721574/

While this may seem like a serious coup for the crew, they could have made more if this was a conventional wide-release studio pic.

 

[dude stannis]

I suspect the revenue is a concession for Ayer doing it without studio interference.

 

[mclay18]

I'm personally not a fan of Netflix's buying spree for movie distribution. I like how they upended the TV show model with the 'stream all episodes of the first season at once', but doing it for movies? It's not going to work every time.

 

[dude stannis]

Works for me, I'm Australian and I can watch **** the same time as the yanks.

 

[The Shape]

Ballsy move by Netflix. I don't like Landis, but I'm in for this.

 

[TheVileOne]

Netflix is shelling out $90M for this movie. The movie will cost $45M to make, $3M for Landis' script, and the rest to cover talent fees and buy out their back end deals.

http://deadline.com/2016/03/netflix...vid-ayer-joel-edgerton-max-landis-1201721574/

While this may seem like a serious coup for the crew, they could have made more if this was a conventional wide-release studio pic.

mclay18, the Deadline deal says they had to pay money to buy out any "back end deals." So that means people who would've gotten like points or money on the back end if it becomes profitable...well they got compensated for that.

The thing is, Will Smith, when is the last time he had a very profitable hit?

So instead of the risk factor of the moving flopping or not, he gets a bigger sum up front probably.

Netflix said they were going to aggressively pursue content like this. Not surprised they are making moves like this.

Now is it sustainable? I have no idea. I guess we shall see. Now I read last year, Netflix made $6.75 billion in revenue. My guess is, they can afford shelling out for a project like this for now.

 

[dude stannis]

This is all a massive surprise. I'd expected them to stay in the $6 million Beasts of no Nation level for a while.

 

[TheVileOne]

Yeah this is the biggest acquisition they've ever made. The last time they were in a bidding war like this, they spent apparently a third of the money.

If you think about it, this is proportionately bigger than the Marvel Netflix deal because that's a co-production with Marvel and ABC. That's $200 million for 60 episodes.

This is $90 million or more for a two hour movie.

 

[dude stannis]

I guess that's one benefit of Sandler swindling them out of money with his nonsense. It's leading to stuff like this from interesting, if divisive, film makers. Here's hoping the bubble doesn't burst for a while.

 

[StarLord]

Noomi Rapace joins Bright

http://www.empireonline.com/people/will-smith/noomi-rapace-will-co-star-bright-will-smith/

 

[NotSoLongAgo]

This sounds pretty cool

 

[Octoberist]

Nice!