George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Jon Watts
As the week heads to a close, one of the biggest bidding wars of the year has engulfed Hollywood.
Sony, Lionsgate, Apple, Netflix are all vying for a movie package that has George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts attached. Amazon, Annapurna, Universal, MGM, and Warner Bros. are also said to be in the mix.
Watts will write, direct and produce the thriller with Clooney and Pitt starring. The two A-listers will also produce via their respective production labels, Smokehouse Pictures and Plan B Entertainment.
Much of the details are being kept under wraps, but it is understood to tell the tale of two lone wolf fixers assigned to the same job.
The package and bidding war has buyers hot and heavy. Clooney and Pitt, two of the most recognizable names and best friends, last starred onscreen together in the Ocean’s 11 movies, where they showcased their chemistry. They were also seen in the Coen Bros. movie Burn After Reading. And the resulting deal could see both land paydays of $20 million or higher.
Watts, meanwhile, could also see a career-high payout and creative freedom enjoyed by few others, depending on the deal struck. The filmmaker has directed the past three Spider-Man movies — Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Far From Home grossed $1.1 billion when it was released in 2019, while No Way Home hits theaters Dec. 17. He has proved to be a favorite of Marvel Studios, which has put him on a new Fantastic Four movie, now in development.
Clooney, Pitt and Watts are repped by CAA. Clooney is additionally repped by Lichter Grossman, Pitt by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Goodman Genow, and Watts by Ziffren Brittenham.
