Netflix has just locked in Ryan Reynolds for the Dwayne Johnson/Gal Gadot-starring movie Red Notice, which is reportedly the streaming service's biggest commitment to a feature yet.
Production on the Rawson Marshall Thurber-directed and -scripted film will begin in 2020. The action heist thriller comes from Universal Pictures, which acquired the script in a vicious bidding war last year, where Netflix was the runner-up.
However, it seems like Universal had hesitations about the project after Thurber drafted his pitch into a screenplay with a budget, Deadline writes of the "globetrotting action heist thriller." Netflix saw the script 10 days ago and was on board; a deal was brokered during the holiday break. With a production budget in the range of $130 million, Netflix believes Red Notice will bring in a new franchise with a worldwide appeal.
Gadot and Johnson both celebrated the news on Twitter:
Red Notice is the second big film for the streaming company and Reynolds, who stars in Netflix's recently wrapped 6 Underground. It will be the Rock's first big project to begin production at Netflix, with Johnson set to star in John Henry and the Statesman. It’s also the first big Netflix movie for Gadot.
“I admire the ambition of Netflix to become one of the biggest movie studios in the world,” Johnson told Deadline. “Their original content generates critical acclaim and invites full collaboration on every level of production. Their unbridled enthusiasm for Red Notice is equally matched by their commitment to entertaining audiences on an international scale.”
Variety reports that Reynolds will make $20 million from his work on the film while Johnson will "make millions more given his role as a primary producer." Gadot is expected to make around the same as Reynolds.
News of Red Notice conflicts with a recent report that Netflix will reportedly be more cautious with big-budget productions after Triple Frontier, which had a $115 million budget and allegedly failed to meet expectations. However, many of Netflix’s recent deals reflect that the streaming giant is still vying to include A-list stars in their large-scale projects. A spokesperson rejected the idea that the company is downsizing, saying, “There has been no change to our content budgets, nor any big shifts in the shorts of projects we’re investing in, or the way we green light them.”
