Netflix and Skydance Media have partnered to produce Six Underground, an action thriller feature film directed by Michael Bay that stars Ryan Reynolds. The film is set to begin production this summer with a projected release date in 2019. Netflix’s latest acquisition is a major win for the emerging content hub which has roped in major Hollywood talent like Will Smith and Bradd Pitt recently.
However, Six Underground will be a costly endeavor for the streaming platform. In fact, it is rumored to have a larger budget than any other Netflix project. As Justin Kroll of Variety explains, “Several suitors had lined up to distribute and co-finance the movie, including Bay’s home studio Paramount, but in the end, Netflix won out after it committed to Bay’s budget of around $125 million, making it the biggest production to date passing “The Irishman”, which sources say had a budget of around $106 million.”
Six Underground will reunite Reynolds with Deadpool I and Deadpool II writers, Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese. Bay’s film is based on an initial idea from Wernick and Reese which began development back in March before roping in Reynolds to star in the film. In addition to working with Wernick and Reese, Reynolds was also interested in working on the film because Netflix does not require its stars to commit to a large number of press engagements. It will definitely be interesting to see if that’s a major selling point for talent going forward.
