(Left) Glen Powell arrives at The 89th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 26, 2017. Credit/Provider: Mike Baker / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S. (Right)
Preview:
- Glen Powell is attached to a new movie about firefighters.
- Ron Howard is aboard to direct.
- Amazon MGM has picked up the project.
Glen Powell could truly be described as one of the hottest rising stars around right now, and his plan to team up with veteran filmmaker Ron Howard could be something really hot –– literally.
According to reporter Jeff Sneider, Powell and Howard are joining forces to develop a new movie about firefighters that the former would star in and the latter would direct.
The new movie, which is currently untitled, will come with a script from ‘Birds of Prey’ and ‘Bumblebee’ writer Christina Hodson, who Powell and Howard got in touch with and asked to pitch ideas. And Amazon MGM Studios has snapped up the pitch project with the three attached.
Powell would produce via his Barnstorm company, alongside Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment.
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What is the story of the new firefighter movie?
(L to R) Kurt Russell and William Baldwin in ‘Backdraft’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Hodson’s script is largely under wraps, but we do have a few details.
The story is apparently about disparate childhood friends, now elite firefighters, who must rekindle their fractured relationship when a series of deadly fires sweep across Texas.
Certainly sounds like something that would fit Powell’s style, and it’s not like Ron Howard doesn’t have experience bringing fearsome cinematic fire to life.
After all, he made 1991’s ‘Backdraft’, which starred Kurt Russell, William Baldwin and Robert De Niro in the tale of feuding siblings carrying on a heroic family tradition as Chicago firefighters.
“Silently behind a door, it waits. One breath of oxygen and it explodes in a deadly rage. In that instant it can create a hero…or cover a secret.”
That movie was so successful that it spawned an attraction at several Universal Studios theme parks. A 2019 sequel popped up, featuring some of the cast (including Baldwin and Donald Sutherland) but Howard had little involvement beyond an executive producer credit.
And indeed, there was chatter last year about a potential ‘Backdraft’ remake with Brian Grazer’s backing, and that included talk of Powell potentially being involved.
Here’s what Grazer had to say:
“Imagine [Entertainment] has always played in that zone where there is that chance, high probability of chance, that it [a movie] will be successful in a movie theater. It’s great for us because we’ve built, over 30 years, over 100 different products –– brands. Whether it’s ‘Backdraft’ which I’m now going to do today with Glen Powell, or whether it’s 24, a movie that we’re going to do in a very interesting way with Disney-Fox.”
We haven’t heard anything about a formal ‘Backdraft’ remake since then, but this sounds awfully like a new take on that concept, given it’ll be about strained relationships between firefighters who must team up to tackle new blazes.
Where else can we see Glen Powell?
Glen Powell as Tyler in ‘Twisters’, directed by Lee Isaac Chung.
Even though he’s said he’s trying to take a break of late, Powell has been as busy as ever.
The actor, who was last seen in ‘Twisters’ will next star in the Hulu comedy series ‘Chad Powers,’ which follows a disgraced college quarterback named Russ Holliday who disguises himself as Chad Powers and walks onto a struggling southern football team to revive his football career.
On the big screen, he’ll be seen in Paramount’s adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘The Running Man’ from director Edgar Wright. That one will be in theaters on November 7th.
There is also John Patton Ford’s ‘Huntingdon’, about a young man who hatches a murderous plot to inherit his family’s wealth, which has yet to score a release date.
And he’s been working on J.J. Abrams’ mysterious new movie, which might be called ‘Ghostwriter’ and co-stars Jenna Ortega.
Beyond those, he recently entered a first-look deal through Barnstorm with Universal, which will begin with the upcoming ‘The Natural Order’ directed by Barry Jenkins.
Finally, he’s attached to the likes of John Lee Hancock’s ‘Monsanto’ and an untitled new comedy that Judd Apatow has been developing to direct.
What else is Ron Howard working on?
Ron Howard in ‘The Studio,’ now streaming on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+.
Howard is no slouch in the working hard department either. You might have caught him recently playing a version of himself on Apple TV+ series ‘The Studio’ and he also has a thriller called ‘Eden’ on the way.
That movie follows a group of people fueled by a profound desire for change; in order to turn their back to society they leave everything behind and set their futures on the harsh landscape of the Galapagos.
It’ll be out on August 22nd.
And given how active Howard is as a producer, there is a laundry list of projects that he’s involved in, too many to document here.
When will the new firefighter movie be on screens?
Despite the seeming drawing power of both Powell and Howard, Amazon MGM has picked this up as a pitch and there’s still a chance it could fall into development limbo.
(L to R) Seth Rogen and Ron Howard in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
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