Brad Pittis one of the most famous men in the world, and as of this year, an Oscar-winning actor, but the thing that has set him apart in recent years has been the exceptional taste he has shown as a producer via his company Plan B Entertainment. Run by his partnersDede GardnerandJeremy Kleiner, Plan B has produced three Best Picture winners over the last 15 years –The Departed,12 Years a SlaveandMoonlight– and now the company has been rewarded with a rich first-look deal for features by Warner Bros.
Earlier this year, Plan B signed a lucrative overall deal for television with Amazon Studios, where it’s in post-production onBarry Jenkins' epic seresThe Underground Railroad, and in pre-production on theJosh Brolinmystery seriesOuter Range. Many top-tier producers who straddle both film and television often have separate production deals for each side of the business, which require similar yet different skillsets.
Warner Bros. has one of the best marketing operations in Hollywood and a forthcoming streaming service (or is it two?) for which Pitt could develop lower-budget projects. But that’s the thing. Plan B, for the most part, is pretty picky about the projects it lends its imprimatur to, because Pitt knows that due to his involvement, not to mention the company’s track record, the Plan B brand has more value than a typical production company. The same can be said forLeonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way banner, though Pitt’sOnce Upon a Time in Hollywoodco-star hasn’t enjoyed quite the same level of success as a producer.
So now Plan B will give Warner Bros. a first look at all of its film projects, and the studio will handle global distribution for all of the company’s titles, according toVariety, which broke the news of the pact, adding that it marks Plan B’s return to the studio where it launched back in 2002.
“Brad, Jeremy and Dede are extraordinary filmmakers. Their track record of excellence speaks for itself. We are so excited to collaborate with them on the dynamic and singular movies for which they are known," WB bossesToby EmmerichandCourtenay Valentisaid in a joint statement.
In addition to its trio of Oscar winners, Plan B recently produced the acclaimed filmsThe Last Black Man in San FranciscoandIf Beale Street Could Talk, as well as the immensely underrated addiction dramaBeautiful Boy. Its upcoming features includeJon Stewart’sIrresistibleandMiranda July’sKajillionairevia Focus Features,Andrew Dominik’sMarilyn MonroemovieBlondevia Netflix, and A24’s Sundance sensationMinari,which is expected to be a top awards contender this year, should awards season proceed as usual. To read our review ofMinarifrom the festival,click here.
