Warner Bros. Wins Bidding War for Ryan Reynolds-Channing Tatum Package ‘Calamity Heist’

Borys Kit
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Warners Bros. has a Calamity on their hands.

The studio is in final negotiations to win the high-priced bidding war for Calamity Hustle, the action comedy that has Ryan Reynolds and Channing Tatum attached to star as wayward bothers.

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Aaron and Adam Nee, the sibling team that was behind the 2022 sleeper hit The Lost City, wrote the script and are attached to direct.

Reynolds and Tatum are also producing via their respective banners, Maximum Effort and Free Association. Also producing is Kevin Walsh, who is currently in the awards season mix with Napoleon, as are the Nees via their banner Persons Attempting.

The package hit Hollywood after Thanksgiving and attracted only a select group of buyers — legacy studio Warners, and streaming goliaths Amazon and Netflix. The small pool of bidders was a result of the high-priced nature of the package. The actors were asking for a minimum of $20 million apiece, while the Nees were seeing paydays in the $6 million to $8 million range. With potential costs of $50 million or more out of the gate, the project was out of reach for most movie companies.

According to sources, one offer came in at $175 million for the package, including above-the-line costs.

The logline, according to sources, concerns a down-on-his-luck former Los Angeles detective turned private investigator who, after being shaken down by a vicious crime lord, must track down his estranged brother, who is responsible for interfering with a diamond heist.

The project is not a go movie, however, as sources say the script needs a lot of work that one actor in particular may help oversee.

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