Netflix shells out $150 million for Michael Bay-directed Six Underground starring Ryan Reynolds
Netflix will be undertaking its biggest movie project yet after partnering with Skydance Media on an action thriller film titled Six Underground, Deadline reports.
The streaming giant has reportedly shelled out about $150 million for the project which is set to be directed by Michael Bay (Transformers, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon), and the film is expected to hit the screens in 2019.
Ryan Reynolds, whose Deadpool 2 recently had a $300 million opening weekend, has been cast in the lead role. Netflix's eye-watering bid also means that the movie will surpass 'The Irishman' as its most expensive project to date.
The script for Six Underground was penned by Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese of Deadpool fame. The film will offer a 'high testosterone' experience and Bay will begin work on the movie this summer. Skydance's David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger will act as producers.
Despite Netflix's impasse with Cannes over whether movies on its service deserved a screening at the prestigious festival, the network still had a busy week hammering out deals.
Besides a $30 million deal for animated film Next Gen, Deadline also reported that they were in talks to take on the Steven Soderbergh-directed Panama Papers drama The Laundromat, which will star Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, and Antonio Banderas.
The platform will also soon host First Ladies written by Tig Notaro. The movie is based on the premise of the United States having its first-ever gay first couple and will star Jennifer Aniston as the first female President of the country and Notaro as her wife and First Lady.
Netflix seems to be buckling down on its recent policy changes and looks to continue to spend extensively on churning out original TV shows and movies. As many as three deals have been ironed out in the last week and we expect more in the weeks and months to come.