Netflix Pulls the Plug on Nancy Meyers Movie – The Hollywood Reporter
Netflix is closing in on Nancy Meyers, the star-studded romantic comedy that was expected to be its first directorial vehicle in nearly a decade.
According to sources, Netflix and Meyers could not come to an agreement on a budget. Myers reportedly asked for a budget of at least $150 million, but the studio didn’t want to go over $130 million. It was a steep price for a genre that’s usually more in the mid-budget range that could have made it the most expensive romantic comedy of all time. Myers, who last directed Robert De Niro’s Anne Hathaway movie in 2015 the ApprenticeShe has budgets on the higher end of the genre and is known for her work with big stars like Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep. She is also known for it architectural digestWorthy production design.
The romantic comedy starred Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Michael Fassbender and Owen Wilson, with Myers writing, directing and producing the film known as Paris Paramount. (It wasn’t clear if that was the actual title, working title, or codename.) The movie was first announced nearly a year ago, and a week ago things seemed to be heating up, with a number of the cast reported.
The film was to focus on a young writer-director who falls in love with a producer. The couple made several successful films before separating, both romantically and professionally. Forced to get back together when a big new project comes up, they find themselves having to deal with high stakes and fickle stars.
The project had similarities to Myers’ life. She and fellow writer-producer Charles Scheer had a long and professional romantic relationship, working on films such as Private Benjamin, Baby Boom, Parent Trap And father of the bride. After their separation, Myers wrote and directed such features as What do women wantAnd Gotta do something And Holiday.