Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans on Board A Film To Be Directed by Jason Bateman
Hollywoodreporter.com: Days after becoming the first streaming service to win best picture at the Oscars, Apple TV+ has secured another big film project. Apple Original Films has landed the hot package Project Artemis, which will star Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans, and be directed by Jason Bateman.
Rose Gilroy penned the script, which is described as focusing on the space race. Johansson, Jonathan Lia and Keenan Flynn will produce under the These Pictures banner, and Bateman will produce through Aggregate Films. Deadline first reported the news.
This is the second film in the works for Apple and Johansson, with Bride also in development. The film is a riff on the classic character the Bride of Frankenstein and being made with A24.
Apple is also already in business with Evans, who is in production on Ghosted, a high-concept rom-com co-starring Ana de Armas and directed by Dexter Fletcher. (At one point, Ghosted would have been a reunion for the two actors, before Johansson dropped out.)
Johansson and Evans appeared in multiple Marvel Studios films together as Black Widow and Captain America, respectively. Johansson will next be seen in Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, while Evans voice-stars in Pixar’s Lightyear, due out June 17, and has Netflix’s The Gray Man due out later this year. As an actor and director, Bateman is awaiting the final batch of his critically acclaimed series Ozark to drop on Netflix in April.
Apple is coming off of three Oscars for CODA, including best picture, best supporting actor and best adapted screenplay.
Johansson is repped by CAA and Yorn Levine. Evans is repped by CAA, 3 Arts and Sloane Offer. Bateman is repped by CAA, Lighthouse Management + Media, and Hansen Jacobson. Gilroy is represented by UTA, Mosaic and attorney Howard Abramson.