Superheroes. Disney has ‘em. Warner Bros. has ‘em. Hell, even Sony has ‘em. And Netflix? Well, Netflix wants ‘em. That’s why they signedMark Millar, the creator ofKingsmanandKick-Ass, to a major deal, and that’s why they’re getting into business withMelissa McCarthyandOctavia Spencer. The duo are closing deals to play super-powered individuals in a Netflix comedy titledThunder Force, per Deadline.
Ben Falconewill direct from his own screenplay and he’ll also produce alongside McCarthy, his wife and longtime collaborator, as well asMarc Platt. While I haven’t loved McCarthy and Falcone’s recent films together, such asTammy,The BossandLife of the Party, I do have faith in their next film, the New Line comedySuperintelligencewithJames CordenandBrian Tyree Henry.
Plot details are being kept under wraps, so I have no idea whether McCarthy and Spencer will play superheroes, or whether one will be the superhero and the other a villain. Of course, it’s also possible that the film isn’t about good vs. evil. Maybe one of them is playing a soccer mom who gets some superpowers and uses them to make her life much easier, with the other actress playing a non-powered sidekick who discovers the secret. Honestly, parents are already superheroes in my book (well, most of them anyway!), so it makes sense that powers should be part of the deal. I know whenever my brothers and I were horsing around, my mom would warn us that she had eyes in the back of her head, and who knows, maybe it was true!?!
McCarthy and Spencer are coming off an awards season that was kind to both of them. McCarthy earned an Oscar nomination for her career-best turn inCan You Ever Forgive Me?and Spencer was an executive producer onGreen Book, which won Best Picture. She also won an Academy Award forThe Help, and was nominated for two more Oscars forHidden FiguresandThe Shape of Water, another film that won Best Picture. Jeez, maybeThunder Forcewill win Best Picture too now that Netflix scored its first nomination in that category forRoma.
Spencer next stars in the Blumhouse thrillerMa, which looks awesome, while McCarthy will soon be seen in New Line’s crime dramaThe Kitchen. She and Falcone are represented by CAA and MGMT, while WME reps Spencer.
