EXCLUSIVE: Following a competitive bidding war that saw several studios and streamers in the mix, Amazon Studios has landed Red Shirt starring Channing Tatum. Based on an original pitch by Simon Kinberg, David Leitch is aboard to direct the pic. Kelly McCormick and David Leitch are producing under their 87 North production banner; Tatum is producing through his company, Free Association; Kinberg is producing through his Genre Films.
Plot details are under wraps other than it being described as an international spy thriller. Deadline first reported the package being taken to market prior to holiday and soon received up to seven offers which included Paramount, Universal, Netflix and Sony with insiders saying it was one of the biggest sales of the year.
Tatum is having himself quite the year with two hits in MGM’s Dog followed by Paramount’s The Lost City; Lost City grossed close to $200 million globally while Dog grossed $84 million on a $15 million budget.
He can be seen next in Magic Mike’s Last Dance as well as Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut P Island. He is currently shooting the Apple Studios’ pic Project Artemis opposite Scarlett Johansson.
Leitch is coming off his summer hit Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt which grossed $240 million at the global box office . He is about to start shooting The Fall Guy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.
Kinberg is currently in production on his Apple TV+ series Sugar starring Colin Farrell and is also developing a new Battlestar Galactica movie.
Tatum is represented by CAA and Jacobson, Teller; 87 North is represented by CAA and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole; Kinberg is represented by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein
