Eros STX Global Corporation, a global entertainment company, announced today that the studio has acquired from AGC Studios and CAA Media Finance rights to release Universe’s Most Wanted, the upcoming sci-fi adventure starring Dave Bautista, in the United States, the United Kingdom and India. The announcement was jointly made today by Adam Fogelson, chairman, STXfilms Motion Picture Group, and Stuart Ford, chairman, AGC studios.
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Brad Peyton (Rampage, San Andreas), whose feature films have earned more than $1.3 billion at the worldwide box office, will direct and produce Universe’s Most Wanted via his production company ASAP Entertainment, along with ASAP’s Jeff Fierson. Dave Bautista (Army of the Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy, Dune) will star and produce via his production company Dream Bros Entertainment, along with Dream Bros’ Jonathan Meisner. The film will also be produced by AGC Studios’ Stuart Ford. AGC’s Miguel Palos Jr. and Linda McDonough are executive producing alongside Carsten Lorenz. The screenplay is by F. Scott Frazier (xXx: Return of Xander Cage) and Jimmy Loweree.
The deal builds on the studios’ relationship following their partnership on Queenpins, the highly anticipated upcoming comedy starring Kristin Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Vince Vaughn, Bebe Rexha, and Paul Walter Hauser. The deal also reteams STX with Bautista, who starred in the studio’s My Spy, which became a streaming hit for Amazon and is currently being developed as a sequel.
Fogelson said, “It’s a thrill to be working with old and new friends on this movie. After successfully collaborating with Dave Bautista on ‘My Spy’ and with AGC on our upcoming comedy Queenpins, it’s great to be back in business with these frequent collaborators. And we’re enormously excited to be working with Brad Peyton, whose proven talent for creating action-packed, fun adventures with plenty of comedy will make this movie a must-see event.”
Ford added, “We’re thrilled at STX’s passion for Universe’s Most Wanted and look forward to working alongside Adam, Sam, and the team as we move towards production and hopefully enable Brad and the team to make an exciting movie.”
“When I first read Scott and Jimmy’s script, I was sold, as it’s the exact type of big, fun sci-fi tentpole I’ve been looking to do,” said Peyton. “What struck me the most was how much heart it had and how much nostalgia it triggered. It reminds me of the great Amblin movies of my childhood. Dave agreeing to play the lead was the icing on the cake.”
“Brad and I are so excited to be working with such a phenomenal team, from our producing partners Dave and Jonathan, who have been creatively in lock step with us since the beginning, to Stuart and the team at AGC who did such a phenomenal job selling the movie, assembling the financing and preparing for principal photography,” said Fierson. “Now to be reuniting with Adam Fogelson and Sam Brown at STX, it really is a ‘dream team’ of partners with whom we are making this movie.”
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In Universe’s Most Wanted, a small town gets a big surprise when a spaceship carrying the universe’s most wanted and dangerous criminals crash lands in their backyard. Soon the sheriff and his son become heroes when they find themselves helping an intergalactic peacekeeper (Bautista) to keep the ragtag group of alien prisoners from escaping and taking over the world.
Currently in pre-production, Universe’s Most Wanted is scheduled to begin shooting in Melbourne, Australia in late July. Roadshow Films and McMahon International will provide local production services, with Roadshow also distributing the film in Australia and New Zealand. The production is supported by Film Victoria.
Peyton’s crew for Universe’s Most Wanted includes director of photography Ross Emery (The Wolverine, The Cave, I, Frankenstein), production designer Barry Chusid (Rampage, Independence Day: Resurgence, San Andreas, Source Code, 2012, The Day After Tomorrow), and VFX supervisor Colin Strause (Rampage, Geostorm, X-Men: Apocalypse, San Andreas).
Rights were acquired from AGC Studios and CAA Media Finance. CAA represents Peyton and Bautista.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
