Variety has the exclusive story that several major Hollywood studios are courting J.J. Abrams in the hope that he will sign a lucrative megadeal with a big media company, a number of Hollywood insiders told Variety. The list of interested parties include Disney, where Abrams is currently working on Episode IX.
People familiar with the matter say Abrams’ ambitions are vast and that the prolific producer, writer, and director behind “Alias” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is on the hunt for the kind of super nova-sized deal that would encompass films, television series, digital content, music, games, consumer products, and theme park opportunities.
He is insisting on a certain number of “put pictures,” an industry term for a specific number of guaranteed slots on a studio’s slate of movies. It’s the kind of mega-deal reserved for Abrams’ mentor and friend Steven Spielberg.
Abrams is eager to set a new high-water mark for the value of the deal, with some speculating he hopes for a pact worth half-a-billion dollars or more. The talks are being shepherded by CAA president Richard Lovett, Abrams’ agent, and attorneys Alan Wertheimer and Jim Jackoway of Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein, one of the insiders said.
Among those making the pitch to team Abrams: Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger and Disney studio chairman Alan Horn; Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Jeff Shell and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley; and Warner Bros. Entertainment CEO Kevin Tsujihara.
While his business is currently split between Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Television, Abrams’ team is seeking to consolidate under one company and earn a considerable payday in the process, the insiders said. Though Abrams, with his ever-present spectacles and curly mop of jet black hair, is one of the most recognizable figures in Hollywood, the scope of the deal is surprising in certain respects. Unlike Spielberg, James Cameron, or George Lucas, Abrams hasn’t created one of the entertainment industry’s Tiffany franchises, an “Avatar,” “Star Wars,” or “Indiana Jones.” Instead, he’s been remarkably adept at re-fashioning venerable properties, such as “Star Trek,” for a new generation. Abrams and his emissaries kicked off a spree of meetings late last summer, according to three people familiar with the talks.
It will be interesting to see where Abrams lands, read more at Variety here.
