Nancy Meyers confirms details about troubled big-budget rom-com, pays tribute to rom-com history
We're still waiting on Hollywood to hand over that $150 million check that Meyers wants
Aux News Nancy Meyers
Everyone in the universe is frustrated by whatever the heck is going on with Nancy Meyers’ next movie, a big-budget romantic comedy called Paris Paramount that was set up at Netflix for a couple of days before the streaming service balked at the budget Meyers wanted for the project—she reportedly wanted $150 million, but Netflix would only sign off on $130 million, and it seems totally ridiculous that it couldn’t find a lousy $20 million laying around. Either way, Warner Bros. is reportedly interested in picking up the project, since it’s a company that knows a little something about burning cash (unless this was a trick to spend $150 million on the project just so the studio could write it off on its taxes).
But the movie is still stuck in some kind of movie limbo, despite having a famous/beloved director and a bunch of big stars attached (Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz, Owen Wilson, and Michael Fassbender, apparently), and now Meyers herself is speaking out about the film’s troubled development. On Instagram over the weekend (via Entertainment Weekly), the It’s Complicated director confirmed that the movie will be called Paris Paramount, and she also noted that the name comes from a quote by German director—and arguable creator of the rom-com genre—Ernst Lubitsch (of The Shop Around The Corner and Design For Living fame).
Meyers post goes on to confirm the premise of the movie, saying it’s “about a group of people making a film and the magic and mystery of what we do.” (Previous reports said it was about a director and a producer who fall in love, make great movies together, split up, and then have to reunite to make another project.) So, for those keeping score at home, it’s a Nancy Meyers movie about people making a movie, billed as an homage to Lubitsch, and studios aren’t throwing $150 million at her to see this movie that everyone wants to see.
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Despite what Hollywood thinks, no one wants to see films about people making a film. And no one is going to give a romcom director $150 million to make a movie with a cast that are almost all at least a decade past their commercial peak.
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Unless this movie takes place on Pandora, there’s no goddamn way it needs to cost $150 million.
I’m all for more mid-range movies – you know, films that aren’t billion-dollar action tentpoles or shoestring indies – but $150 mill for a rom-com is taking the piss.
You’re missing the one thing that jacks the price up so much—back-end deals, or to be precise the lack of them from streaming services. If you want name actors like Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz, Owen Wilson, and Michael Fassbender for your Netflix Original Feature, you can’t say “I’ll give you $2M now, and 2% of the theatrical and ancillary sales” because there aren’t any, so there’s no chance that if the movie does does $150M worth of profit (a not-unreasonable box office for a theatrically-released Nancy Meyers movie) that any of the cast will pick up an additional $3M-$4M each. So everybody is negotiating for at least $6M up front, and probably more because—Hey, maybe this movie would have made a half-billion dollars worldwide with the stacked cast?Also, as big as Nancy Meyers’s budgets are (The Intern aside, her budgets are around $80M-$85M per film!), it would probably be cheaper if it did take place on Pandora. I’ve heard she goes nuts with production design, building this insanely beautiful homes with huge kitchens on studio sets—don’t ask me how that makes a movie which should cost $30M-$50M cost $85M, but it almost always seems to. Since her movies make around $200M worldwide she didn’t have much trouble getting the budgets she gets, but I would imagine that Netflix might be scared that if she says $150M, it’ll balloon up to closer to $200M—without any scenes of Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, Chris Hemsworth and Duane Johnson kicking ass, either! (Though maybe if she put Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock in as a pair of women’s self-defense instructors….)
Lol.Sorry, but I’m pretty full up on movies about the “magic and mystery of making movies”, thanks. Blame Spielberg, he filled the quota.Not to mention, if it’s a rom com, shouldn’t it be about the magic and mystery of finding someone whose genitals you’d like to touch? Why muddy that up with movie nerd shit?
So I take it you Met the Fabelmans, and that was all you needed?
That’s a terrible idea at a price point that would struggle to break even. Drop some of those stars and make it for 40-50 million maybe.
Meanwhile back in the day, the makers of Dirty Dancing were told they’re getting $5 million and warned that if costs result in a decimal point after that 5, production is getting cancelled. Not surprisingly, they were very careful with the money.
Meyers’s track record to date makes those huge budgets sound…not entirely unreasonable. Of course, those presuppose a theatrical release patronized by wine moms and their daughters and nieces….She has done films for less money, like The Intern ($35M budget), but I get the feeling she wants one last splurge before she ends up executive producing streaming shows. I’ll admit this is one big splurge even by her standards—though I suspect if WB takes the film and offers a for-real theatrical release? She’ll be able to cut that budget in half.
I’m going to hold off addressing the 150 million dollar budget until I see the plans for the kitchen
The movies she has directed suck. IMO not one of them is a good movie. Not sure why any studio would even consider giving her that much to direct anything. Especially not a romcom, a genre that rarely makes money and is only appealing to middle aged women.
I know that streamers have to pay actors more upfront because they can’t offer box office percentages or other residuals but $150m for any romcom is way too much. Nancy Meyers has a good track record but what theatrical release of hers would justify that budget? Netflix would be better off finding up-and-comers or relative unknowns and making 3-4 of these movies IMO.
She has 4 movies that made 200-260m at the boxoffice, and then went on to become massive hits on TV/DVD/streaming/whatever. If this one has the shelf life of say The Holiday, they could probably make some money at that budget level.
Honestly… you’re right…. She didn’t get gifted into a billion dollar franchise, Marvel/DC/SW…Not sure she wants anything to do with something that big, but she’s earned it. Honestly, I’d line up to see it, she makes great movies.I might be crazy, I look forward to small films, stacked with actors. More Woman Talking, less Marvel vs. DC. Vs Pandora…..
So basically lose money or break even at box office and hope to make a small profit on home media sales / streaming? I have some doubts that is what studios are looking for when they greenlight a $150m movie.
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Ad-supported streamers are now reinvigorating the “cable” rights money flow that were lost in all the cord cutting of the last 15 years. So a streamer can make cash from combos of subscription revenue + (if so desired) theatrical release + “cable” rights. This is actually a great thing for getting things made that can actually turn profits. Low budget rom coms can be amazing, but they should get their version of a James Cameron epic from time to time, too, especially from a genre master like Myers.
The combo model makes a lot of sense to me. I do wonder how much a company like Netflix gets in having a movie exclusively from day one vs having it hit theaters for 6-8 weeks and then having it exclusively after that point like other streamers have been doing. Is it more than whatever box office gross they would earn? And would there be other benefits like attracting even more top-end talent without having to wildly overpay them?
Guaranteeing a theatrical release, plus cable-like streamer rights to ad-supported platforms could certainly make streamer projects more attractive to top talent (and more lucrative for everyone).
I’ll do it for …. 1 Million Dollars
Nancy Meyers is no intern. She knows making movies isn’t the holiday a lot of people think it is. It’s complicated, and when the creative preasure is on something’s gotta give. But in the end she’ll do what she always does and deliver a film that’s what women want. The parent trap. Father of the bride part 3.
she reportedly wanted $150 million, but Netflix would only sign off on $130 million, and it seems totally ridiculous that it couldn’t find a lousy $20 million laying around.Have you been following the news lately?
bold of you to assume anyone who works for the avclub follows the news
oh good, just what audiences love, movies about people making movies. Get over yourselves, Hollywood!
studios aren’t throwing $150 million at her to see this movie that everyone wants to see.Chill.
I think they meant to put that phrase in quotes instead of italics. At least they should have.
I think you’re giving Barsanti waaaay too much credit.
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“Meyers post goes on to confirm the premise of the movie, saying it’s “about a group of people making a film and the magic and mystery of what we do.””
I can’t think of anything more insufferable than a movie about making movies.
Oh, wait, it’s romantic comedy? Well, I stand corrected.
I’ve not even heard of this movie and yet I too am frustrated by whatever the heck is going on with this movie.
That’s a lot of money for a non-genre rom-com without visual effects and CGI environments. Lot of “cheaper” talent is available, for sure.