Delivering a blockbuster on any level of the MCU’s greatest hits brings a lot of opportunities. And certainly, in the case of Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo, there’s going to be a lot of parties interested in landing their unique voices. MGM in particular seems eager to work with the brothers, as they’ve recently landed a deal for them to try their hand at some projects under their roof, with a lot of potential for remakes to benefit in the process.
It was announced recently that The Russo Brothers’ production partnership AGBO Films has entered an agreement that consists of “a multi-film non-exclusive creative partnership to co-develop, co-produce and co-finance a slate of projects” with the legendary studio that brought us everything from Gone With The Wind to Legally Blonde, as well as the entire James Bond franchise. While original projects from AGBO Films are still on the table, there’s a focus on revitalizing in house IP from MGM, and there’s two films already waiting on the tarmac.
Diversifying the portfolio of the long ailing studio are remakes of films for both child and adult alike. On the more family friendly side, the already in process remake of The Secret of NIMH entitled The Rats of NIMH is in process, with the visual style aiming for a live-action/CGI hybrid like that of Disney’s The Lion King. Knowing how inventive and frightening the look of the original 1982 film from director Don Bluth was, having The Russo Brothers on board to shepherd this project is one of the best decisions that will come out of this partnership. Save for bringing Bluth back to the fold as a consultant, of course.
The other MGM property that looks to be part of the early phases of this deal is The Thomas Crown Affair, the legendary Steve McQueen heist film that already saw itself remade in 1999 with Pierce Brosnan playing the dashing thief. With Michael B. Jordan already attached to play the man with the plan, and a new rewrite means that Joe and Anthony Russo have come in at just the right time to put that story right, should they see fit.
Now is a good time to mention that, per Deadline's report, this is not only a non-exclusive agreement, allowing The Russos to roam about to other studios while working through this agreement. So should the want to either join a new clubhouse like the DCEU or maintain relationships with old friends like Marvel Studios, it looks like there’s room to breathe for all involved.
Also, this MGM agreement only specifies that The Russo Brothers will “co-develop, co-produce, and co-finance” the films on their slate. One would think that if they really wanted to direct any of the projects on their docket, there’d be little to no objection. But if they want to sit back and guide some fresh talent in the director’s chair, that too could work to their favor.
The world is about to become an oyster for The Russos to harvest at their own will, and all it took was six Infinity Stones and a handful of Marvel cinematic masterworks to get there. If there’s anything more interesting than recounting what they’ve done in the past, it’s what they’re about to do with their future.
Avengers: Endgame heads to theaters on April 26th, and much like destiny, you can’t run from it. But you can prepare for it with our MCU timeline, showcasing the various running orders you can watch the films in, leading up to this momentous occasion.
