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9 months ago
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Paramount Pictures has renewed its first look development deal with Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort Productions for an additional three-years. The Melrose lot is releasing the Reynolds’ headliner and feature production, IF, on May 17; that pic getting a big push during Super Bowl which is airing on the studio’s sister Paramount+ and CBS.
Reynolds’ new pact, which covers motion pictures at all budgets, will go through December 2026.
Brian Robbins, Paramount Pictures President & CEO, beamed, “Ryan and George epitomize the kind of creativity and innovative thinking that allow this industry to reinvent itself time and again. On behalf of everyone at Paramount, we’re thrilled to continue working with Ryan and the team at Maximum Effort to create theatrical projects that are as original, smart and fun as they are.”
“The Paramount partnership feels like home to everyone at Maximum Effort so another 3 years was a no-brainer,” said Maximum Effort Co-Founder Reynolds. “We’ve loved working with Brian, Daria (Cercek), Mikey (Ireland) and Marc (Weinstock) and are 100% aligned with their commitment to bringing original films to movie theaters. Whether it’s congregating in theaters, toasting with some Aviation gin or cheering on a football pitch, the purpose of our company is to bring people together. We can’t wait to do more of it with the first-class team at Paramount.”
Maximum Effort Co-Founder George Dewey and Co-Presidents Ashley Fox and Johnny Pariseau run day-to-day operations for the production company out of their Los Angeles office. Reynolds and Dewey launched Maximum Effort in 2018, following their successful collaborative efforts on the marketing campaigns for the first two Deadpool films.
As part of Maximum Effort’s deal with the studio, Reynolds is attached to star in and produce the previously announced feature film Boy Band, with Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps also producing. The story is by Reynolds with an original script co-written by Reynolds and Jesse Andrews, with Levy attached to direct.
Other Paramount Pictures and Maximum Effort projects in the works are Starter Villain, based on the New York Times-bestselling book of the same name by John Scalzi, with Jesse Andrews attached to adapt; an adaptation of the beloved family book series, Eloise, with partner MRC; an original action comedy, Gaslight Express, with Reynolds teaming up with Deadpool scribes Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese.
IF, directed by John Krasinski, follows a girl who discovers she can see everyone’s imaginary friends, and what she does with that ability, as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their creators.
