21 LAPS ENLISTS WGA AWARD WINNER TRIPPER CLANCY TO WRITE | After turning Night at the Museum into one of the most successful family film franchises of the 21st century, 21 Laps has begun development on a reimagining for 20th Century Studios. Tripper Clancy has been enlisted to write the script, sources tell Deadline. While plot specifics are under wraps, the film is said to be a new story set at the museum with all-new characters. Shawn Levy and Dan Levine will produce for 21 Laps, with Emily Morris overseeing the project for the company. A frequent collaborator of 21 Laps, WGA Award winner Clancy is best known for writing the Die Hart series on Roku as well as a feature film installment of the franchise for Prime Video. He has also worked with the company and Netflix as co-EP of the series I Am Not Okay With This. The Night at the Museum franchise adapts the 1993 children’s book by Milan Trenc, where a night watchman at a natural history museum sees his job descend into chaos when exhibits come to life after dark. 21 Laps’ Levy directed and Ben Stiller led three films, each of which was a hit at the global box office. >>>$1.3B+ Franchise |
Deadline Exclusives & Originals | Barzgate Off To ‘Camp’ - Amazon MGM Studios' United Artists and Scott Stuber have acquired Fantasy Camp, a feature comedy pitch from Nicholas Thomas. Top comic Nate Bargatze is eyeing to star, with his Nateland Entertainment producing alongside 2.0 Entertainment and 59th & Prairie Entertainment. >>>Seven Figure Deal In Baby’s Corner - As a sequel to Dirty Dancing is in the works, the resort that inspired the original film is getting its own small-screen treatment. The Mountains, a scripted series set at Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel, which inspired the movie as well as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, is in the works from Alan Zweibel, an original writer on Saturday Night Live. >>> Multigenerational Story ‘Clueless’ Reunion - Three decades after their work together on Amy Heckerling’s iconic comedy Clueless, Paul Rudd and Jeremy Sisto are set to reteam on Rain Reign, a feature adaptation of the bestselling novel by Ann M. Martin (The Baby-Sitters Club). >>>Erika Burke Rossa Directs Hudgens ‘Storm’ Brewing - Vanessa Hudgens has wrapped production in Vancouver on Quiet Storm, a dramatic thriller marking the directorial debut of Anthony Thorne, who also penned the script. The film takes place in the summer of 1969, as the infamous Hurricane Camille marks its tragic landfall. Hudgens plays a romance novelist trapped indoors during the storm as she struggles to cope with the reality of an ever-changing world. >>> Mira Sorvino Co-Stars In Brief - Ritesh Batra replaces Nisha Ganatra to direct Unaccustomed Earth… Justin Lin’s Last Days acquired by Vertical |
“I’ve always wanted to have my own shop where I could write, produce, direct, and now release my own films,” veteran horror filmmaker Eli Roth explains when quizzed on the origins of his newly launched, horror-focused indie studio The Horror Section. “And we’re off to a great start,” he adds, pointing to Jimmy and Stiggs, the company’s first official release, and the latest feature from cult indie horror filmmaker Joe Begos, which hits cinemas next month. Roth says he has locked the backing of AMC and other major theater chains despite the film being unrated, and The Horror Section is prepping to launch the film wide across the U.S.. Theatrical releases, Roth tells Deadline, will be the backbone of The Horror Section’s business. >>>Read The Interview |
Quotable "Grotesquely unfair, highly misleading and seeks to systematically pick apart my life." - 'The Salt Path' author Raynor Winn on a UK newspaper's investigative report that levels serious allegations about her life and book. |
Renewals, Cancellations & pickups | Exclusive Director Chandler Levack has locked a starry cast for Roommates, an ensemble comedy for Netflix. The call sheet will include Sarah Sherman, Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll, Sadie Sandler, Chloe East and Storm Reid . Story follows a hopeful, naive college freshman who asks the cool and confident Celeste to be her roommate, seeing a blossoming friendship spiral into a war of passive aggression. Mika Amonsen has been cast as a series regular opposite Donnie Wahlberg on Blue Bloods offshoot Boston Blue, taking over the role of Sean Reagan. On Blue Bloods, Sean was played by Andrew Terraciano who recurred throughout the series’ 14-season run. ExclusiveJD Pardo (Mayans M.C., High Potential) has been cast as a series regular in Trinity, the new Netflix drama from showrunner, writer and executive producer Jed Mercurio. He joins the previously announced stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Richard Madden and Marcia Gay Harden. ExclusiveSteve Howey (Shameless, High Potential) has been tapped for a major recurring role on Amazon MGM Studios’ college-set romantic drama Off Campus, based on the best-selling book series by Elle Kennedy. Exclusive Walton Goggins, Ron Funches, Chris Parnell and Shondrella Avery have joined Harry and the Mutant Mid-Century Furniture , a new animated feature from director, co-writer and producer Michael Skolnick. In Brief - Michelle Yeoh to voice English dub of Chinese blockbuster Ne Zha 2… Jon Beavers, Daniel Durant & Roberta Colindrez among 5 cast in Apple’s Being Heumann… Reasonable Doubt adds Kiah Clingman & Brittany Inge to S3 cast… Emily Skinner joins Alexander McQueen bioplay | by the numbers 80 million - Prime Video viewers who have watched Ben Affleck/Jon Bernthal sequel 'The Accountant 2' since its June 5 launch. |
More News 🎤 Deadline’s red carpet and social media team has been on the scene for some of the biggest movies of the summer and several highly anticipated returning TV shows. Check out this compilation of our red carpet interviews and premiere coverage for the likes of James Gunn’s Superman and Mike White’s The White Lotus Season 3, and return for more updates as we attend upcoming premieres like The Fantastic Four and more. 🤝 Disney and ITV have struck a landmark UK content-swap deal that will see some seasons of Love Island appear on Disney+ and the likes of The Bear head to ITVX. "Taste of" versions of each other's streamers will appear as rails on Disney+ and ITVX. Karl Holmes, Disney+'s MD in EMEA, told us more partnerships are on their way. ⚖️ The Justice Department indicted Oak View Group CEO Tim Leiweke, a longtime executive in live sports and entertainment who once ran AEG, for an alleged scheme to rig the bidding process at a public arena in Texas. 📉 Shares in London-based advertising giant WPP plunged 18% on Wednesday, stoking broader anxiety about the state of the ad business. The drop came after lackluster quarterly earnings results and the company’s unexpected lowering of profit forecasts. The sector is facing significant disruption due to AI, which can perform functions like planning, buying and creative execution at a fraction of traditional costs. ❌ The Writers Guild of America is no longer on X after the social media platform’s AI tool Grok made a series of offensive remarks this week, including praising Hitler. “The racist and antisemitic language generated by X.com’s AI (“Grok”) after a software update directed by Elon Musk is further evidence of the urgent need for common sense regulation and oversight of artificial intelligence technology,” the WGA East wrote in an email to members. 🎞️ 20th Century Studios spy thriller The Amateur, starring Rami Malek and Laurence Fishburne, will begin streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ on July 17. It was released in theaters in April and grossed nearly $100M worldwide. |
Obituaries 🕯️ Dave Flebotte, an Emmy-nominated TV writer who worked on dramas like Desperate Housewives and sitcoms such as The Bernie Mac Show, has died. He was 65. 🕯️ 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries |
On The Radar Thu - Daytime Emmy nominations; Big Brother Season 27 premiere on CBS Fri - Dexter: Resurrection series premiere on Showtime Sat - Wimbledon women's singles final Sun - Wimbledon men's singles final |
'Dexter' Redux - New cast additions Uma Thurman and Peter Dinklage flank star Michael C. Hall at the world premiere of Paramount+’s Dexter: Resurrection in New York. | |