Paul Greengrass and the Art of Disaster

Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:

Jeremy Allen White's crazy heart, Julia Roberts' Hunt, Timothée Chalamet + WB, Pirates of the Caribbean anew and a giraffe-flamingo.

Let’s go!

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THE INDUSTRY NEWS

Drowning. Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster.

Paul Greengrass has an exceptional ability to add depth to disaster films. Captain Phillips (2013) and United 93 (2006) are heart-pounding and heartfelt. Greengrass is set to direct two new projects for Warner Bros.:

• ​Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 421​

  • Written by Steve Kloves (Harry Potter 1-7)

WB’s official synopsis:

A plane crashes in the Pacific Ocean six minutes after takeoff and is flooded after an explosion during evacuation. 12 survivors sink in a sealed part of the aircraft as it perches on an undersea cliff 200 feet below the surface.

• ​The Lost Bus​

  • Starring Matthew McConaughey and Jamie Lee Curtis

  • Producer: Blumhouse

  • Writer: Brad Ingelsby (Mare of Easttown)

Synopsis:

California’s deadliest fire.

On November 8, 2018, the people of Paradise, California, awoke to a mottled gray sky and gusty winds. Soon the Camp Fire was upon them, gobbling an acre a second. Less than two hours after the fire ignited, the town was engulfed in flames, the residents trapped in their homes and cars. By the next morning, eighty-five people were dead.

McConaughey will play a bus driver who commands a school bus full of children who must navigate through the fire to safety.

These films seem pitch-perfect for Greengrass’ gritty, big-budget psychological thriller sensibilities.

The plan is for Greenhouse to jump into production on Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 421 right after The Lost Bus.

No word on the ​production start date​.

Warner Bros. signs a first-look deal with Timothée Chalamet in their continued bid to make strategic partnerships with top talent, including ​Tom Cruise​ and ​Ram Bergman​ (dir: Knives Out).

Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, the co-CEOs of WB’s Motion Picture Group, stated:

“Over the last few years, we have admired not only Timothée’s commitment to his craft, which is evident in the range and depth of his varied roles, but also his unwavering dedication to give 100% of his time and attention to every project he has made here at Warner Bros. and elsewhere. His collaboration on the campaigns for Dune and Wonka is something we all enjoyed immensely, and the results speak for themselves."

Dune 2 is sitting at $577 M worldwide, and Wonka is at $632 M.

They concluded: