Filmmaker Spike Jonze is not one to do things in a hurry. To date, the helmer has directed only five films in the past 24 years – 1999’s “Being John Malkovich,” 2002’s “Adaptation,” 2009’s “Where the Wild Things Are,” 2013’s “Her” and 2020’s “Beastie Boys Story” documentary.
That’s it. In fact, his only post-“Her” big screen credits have been as a writer/producer on “Jackass Forever” and “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa”. On TV, he’s done some comedy specials and small one-offs but nothing scripted.
That looked to change when in July last year came a story via Puck News that Jonze was set to direct an ambitious limited series for Netflix, a project he’d been developing for a few years and which had a writers room assembled for it at the time.
Now, scooper Daniel Richtman (via World of Reel) has added to the report indicating that the project will be a sci-fi series. Jonze is attached to both direct and write the project, which has a “broad and expansive canvas”.
In addition, Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix is presently being considered and reportedly has an offer for the lead role. What’s On Netflix claims that the show “could be on track to be one of the most expensive shows in Netflix’s history.”
Now there’s also some confusion as to the nature of the show. One of the reports suggests it will be animated, the other that it will be live-action, with Jonze also working on a separate animated project for Netflix.
Neither Netflix nor Jonze have made any official statements regarding a collaboration. This means these reports remain a rumor for now.
