Netflix's film department has demonstrated one hell of a power move today by setting an overall deal with WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES director Matt Reeves' 6th & Idaho banner. The fine print reveals that Netflix will be given an exclusive first look at any feature films that Reeves is looking to produce and/or direct through his production label. News of the deal comes shortly after Netflix's launch of David Ayer's BRIGHT; a divisive action fantasy film that, despite having received negative reviews, has managed to pull an astounding 11 million views in just three days since its release.
In commenting on the newly-formed relationship, Scott Stuber, head of the film initiative at Netflix, stated that he thinks “Matt is a fantastic storyteller with a unique vision and his track record speaks for itself. At Netflix we are partnering with the best filmmakers and know that Matt and his team will bring great inventive films to our global audience. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to the Netflix family.”
Currently, Reeves and his 6th & Idaho partners, senior vice president Adam Kassan and director of development and Rafi Crohn, are developing MOUSE GUARD – a live-action/CGI hybrid based on the acclaimed Archaia-published fantasy series created by David Petersen. Wes Ball will direct the high fantasy comic book adaptation. Also in the pipeline for 6th and Idaho are The Passage at Fox Broadcasting and The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole with Fox's animation department. On a related and more personal note, I think The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole is an outstanding book, and I highly recommend that you seek out your own copy to share with your kids. It's a fun group read, if you will.
When asked for comment about the deal, Reeves' stated that he feels "Netflix is at the forefront of a new age in how storytellers are reaching their audience." And that he is "incredibly excited to be working with Scott and our teams to find and create thrilling, character-centered genre stories, and to guide and nurture new filmmaking voices.”