Following his breakout indie debut with “Cop Car,” filmmaker Jon Watts has spent the bulk of his time focused on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So far, he’s directed “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” he wrapped “Spider-Man: No Way Home” earlier in 2021, and next, he’s making a “Fantastic Four” movie for Marvel Studios.
However, Watts won’t stay in the superhero wheelhouse forever, it seems, as The Hollywood Reporter has revealed a colossal project developing behind the scenes that has sparked a massive bidding war between a multitude of studios.
The hot project written and directed by Jon Watts will star Brad Pitt and George Clooney as “lone wolf fixers” assigned to the same gig, the pair of A-list actors will also produce via their production companies, Smokehouse Pictures and Plan B Entertainment. This would be a reunion for the duo after previously working together on the Coen Brothers’ “Burn After Reading” and Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s 11” movies.
Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, Apple Studios, Netflix, Amazon Studios, Annapurna Pictures, Universal Pictures, MGM Studios, and Warner Bros. are all reportedly in the mix to bid for the untitled film.
Fixers can be both on the right side or wrong side of the law, and Clooney already starred once as a famous fixer in the Academy Award-nominated “Michael Clayton.” The Liev Schreiber-led series “Ray Donovan” could be another example of what this film could look like, more physical and muscular, given ‘Clayton’ already tackled the moral side of it.
Pitt recently wrapped the David Leitch action pic “Bullet Train” coming to theaters in April, and Clooney’s next directorial effort, “The Tender Bar,” stars Ben Affleck with a release date of December 17 (oddly opposite Watts’ “Spider-Man: No Way Home”).
It remains to be seen what this means for Watts’ involvement with “Fantastic Four” and when the MCU film will go in front of cameras, but undoubtedly that film still has to be a massive priority for Marvel.