Ryan Reynolds is teaming with John August to co-write and executive produce the Netflix feature comedy “Upstate,” which is being developed as a starring vehicle for him.
Reynolds is executive producing through his Maximum Effort banner. August is also executive producing.
Reynolds and August collaborated on the 2007 sci-fi thriller “The Nines,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. August directed from his own script. Hope Davis, Melissa McCarthy and Elle Fanning starred in the pic.
Reynolds, best known for starring in the two “Deadpool” movies, worked with Netflix on the action movie “6 Underground,” and has been shooting the streamer’s “Red Notice” with Gal Gadot and Dwayne Johnson. Reynolds is also starring in Lionsgate’s upcoming “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” with Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek.
Earlier this month, Reynolds came on board to produce and star in the monster comedy “Everyday Parenting Tips” for Universal Pictures. The project is based on Simon Rich’s New Yorker humorous short story from May 2020.
August has extensive screenwriting credits, including “Charlie’s Angels,” “Big Fish,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Dark Shadows” and Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Aladdin.” In 2016, he was awarded the Writers Guild of America West’s Valentine Davies Award for his contributions to the entertainment industry and the community at large. He also wrote the novel “Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire.”
Reynolds is repped by WME and Sloane Offer. August is repped by Verve and attorney Ken Richman. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
