J.J. Abrams Said to Be Near $500 Million Deal With WarnerMedia

Bad Robot has grown considerably since then. According to IMDBpro, an entertainment-industry database, Bad Robot has more than 50 movies and shows in development or production, including “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which Mr. Abrams directed for Disney and has been scheduled for release in theaters on Dec. 20.

Paramount had a mixed experience with Bad Robot, especially when it came to original concepts. The action horror movie “Cloverfield” was a breakout hit in 2008, costing about $25 million to make and taking in $171 million worldwide. “Super 8,” a science-fiction thriller directed by Mr. Abrams, collected a successful $260 million in 2011.

But misfires included “Overlord” and “Morning Glory.” The sequel “The Cloverfield Paradox” was considered so theatrically unviable that Paramount sold it to Netflix. Paramount was also frustrated that Mr. Abrams chose to direct two “Star Wars” films for Disney — the first was “The Force Awakens” in 2015 — rather than focusing on Paramount directorial projects.

Mr. Abrams’s first hits were in television, as a co-creator of the WB cult favorite “Felicity” in 1998, and then bringing two hits to ABC in the early 2000s: “Alias,” which helped make Jennifer Garner a star, and “Lost.” In its first two seasons on HBO, “Westworld” has won nine Emmys.

Not everything has been a hit, with television misses including series like “Roadies” (Showtime), “Alcatraz” (Fox) and “Undercovers” (NBC).

That has done little to tarnish Bad Robot’s reputation. It has several projects in the works with HBO, and three series coming to Apple’s forthcoming television service: “Little Voice,” a musical starring Sara Bareilles; a Julianne Moore limited series adapted from the Stephen King novel “Lisey’s Story”; and a limited series reuniting Mr. Abrams with Ms. Garner.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/17/business/media/jj-abrams-warnermedia.html?emc=rss&partner=rss