Jon Watts, the acclaimed director behind ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home,’ has just inked a first-look film deal with Walt Disney Studios. This significant move comes as Watts, alongside his production company Freshman Year and producer Dianne McGunigle, steps into a new creative partnership with Disney.
With this agreement, Watts will direct various feature-length projects for both Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios, with opportunities to produce. His career took off with the indie film ‘Cop Car,’ which garnered attention at Sundance and led him to take the reins of the third Spider-Man installment featuring Tom Holland and Zendaya. Over the span of three films, Watts has contributed to a staggering $4 billion in box office earnings. Recently, he wrote, directed, and produced ‘Wolfs,’ a film starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt that is set for a limited theatrical release and will debut on Apple TV+ later this month.
Watts has a long-standing relationship with Disney that extends beyond just marveling at superhero films. He is also an executive producer on the FX series ‘The Old Man,’ featuring Jeff Bridges, and has created the upcoming Star Wars limited series ‘Skeleton Crew,’ slated to stream on Disney+ starting December 3, 2024.
David Greenbaum, the president of Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios, expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with Watts, praising him as a masterful filmmaker adept at blending spectacle, humor, and emotional depth in his work. Watts echoed this excitement, noting that his past experiences with Disney executives have been overwhelmingly positive. He is eager to collaborate with Greenbaum and his team to deliver compelling, director-driven cinematic experiences.
In addition to his work on ‘Wolfs,’ Watts and McGunigle have a range of projects progressing through different production stages. They are managing post-production on ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ for Warner Brothers, preparing a feature adaptation of the ‘Murder 101’ podcast for Amazon, and producing ‘NSFL,’ the debut feature from noted music video director Keith Schofield through Caviar and Roughhouse Pictures.
Watts is represented by CAA and attorney Gregory Slewett, and with this new partnership with Disney, the filmmaker is poised to further elevate his already impressive career, bringing more exciting projects to audiences in the future.