Another Studio Looking To Take Over Scarlett Johansson’s Canceled, Incredibly Expensive Netflix Movie?
Warner Bros. Discovery is allegedly interested in producing Scarlett Johansson's expensive romantic comedy following its recent Netflix cancelation.
Love is in the air… again. Paris Paramount, the new rom-com from feel-good filmmaker Nancy Meyers was canceled at Netflix, but according to Deadline, Warner Bros. Discovery is in talks to save it. The movie was axed for its expensive $130 million price tag, most of which was allotted to the star-studded lineup of Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Owen Wilson, and Michael Fassbender.
News that Netflix had canceled Paris Paramount broke Tuesday, and Meyers wasted no time shopping the project elsewhere. Warner Bros. Discovery was an immediate frontrunner to land the movie, and discussions about the project’s future are reportedly underway. As the studio irons out the details, the film’s sizable budget will surely be a point of contention.
Warner Bros. Discovery may not go along with Meyers’ $130 million plan, and the fastest way to cut costs would be to cut stars. Scarlett Johansson, Owen Wilson, and Michael Fassbender have all been Marvel stars at some point in their careers, and Penelope Cruz is a screen legend. Each is worthy of top billing, and time will tell whether or not they will stick around for Warner Bros. Discovery’s new price point.
Paris Paramount was announced nearly a year ago. It follows a filmmaking couple that must reunite for a project after a bitter breakup. Roles for Scarlett Johansson and her movie star cohorts have not been disclosed.
Nancy Meyers is best known for writing and directing warmhearted classics like The Parent Trap and The Holiday. Meyers worked with Warner Bros. Discovery on her 2015 film The Intern, starring Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway. The Intern was a big money maker for the studio — at a budget of $35 million. The filmmaker’s ties with the studio could bolster her during negotiations as she clings to Scarlett Johansson and the rest of her dream cast, but a $130 million would make Paris Paramount historically expensive for its genre.
Scarlett Johansson has a busy slate ahead. She will team up with director Wes Anderson for this summer’s Asteroid City, another film stacked with A-listers. She is also set for the sci-fi thriller Bride and Apple TV’s space race drama Project Artemis, directed by prolific DC producer Greg Berlanti.
Owen Wilson will hit the screen this year with the Bob Ross-inspired Paint, again with Disney’s Haunted Mansion, and with season two of Marvel’s Loki. The power of the multiverse may unite Owen Wilson and Scarlett Johansson in the Marvel action, as the Black Widow actress is rumored to return to her role for multiple projects.
Michael Fassbender has laid low since the 2019 X-Men flop Dark Phoenix but will come out strong in 2023. He will star in Taika Waititi’s next film, Next Goal Wins, and David Fincher’s The Killer before capping the year with the over-the-top 80s action extravaganza Kung Fury 2. Penelope Cruz will team up with Adam Driver in this year’s biopic Ferrari.
Scarlett Johansson and the rest of the proposed cast of Paris Paramount are busy for a reason. The group of prolific and highly respected actors has earned its price tag and the right to budge on it for projects they feel called to do. Love is still in the air, and as Warner Bros. Discovery prepares new offers for the stars attached to Paris Paramount, Nancy Meyers will try to make it land in her favor.
