Exclusive: Chris Pratt In Talks With Netflix For A Massive, Multi-Movie Multi-Series Deal
Will Chris Pratt sign on the dotted line? He's having major talks with Netflix right now. Here's what we've learned.
This article is more than 2 years old
Netflix is making big moves. As competing streaming services have popped up, Netflix has created more original content to establish themselves in the marketplace. These days, they’re making big deals with actors and filmmakers to create the type of content that audiences will prioritize as a “must-see”. Now, they’re on their way toward making one of their biggest deals yet with Chris Pratt.
One of our trusted and proven sources has exclusively let Giant Freakin Robot in on the details of talks happening between Netflix and Chris Pratt. Right now, the streaming service is talking to the actor about a deal for five original movies and three television series. The new projects will be original content, and mostly involve action movies like their upcoming release Red Notice. While our source doesn’t know what Pratt thinks about this offer, it’s definitely one that he’ll be considering seriously. The actor has come a long way on his journey to being a star likely to get an offer like this. However, signing on for five movies and three TV shows will require a lot of time from his schedule, which means saying no to other opportunities that may come his way. This is a big decision for any actor.
In the early 2000s, no one would have guessed that we’d be seeing Chris Pratt where he is now. For several years, he was the side character on a family-friendly show for teens called Everwood. He immediately followed that up with a role on The O.C., another television show aimed at teens. It doesn’t seem like he wanted to continue that trend, because he moved on to smaller roles in random projects until we met him as Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation, where he became a comedic actor. Of the many things his character was known for, one of them was food. He liked to eat, he was a little pudgy, and he wasn’t what anyone would picture when they referred to an action star. Chris Pratt was not an actor you’d imagine to be up for action movies like Red Notice, but today he’s that guy in Jurassic World, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Tomorrow War.
It makes perfect sense that Netflix is now looking at Chris Pratt and thinking, “That’s the guy we want for our upcoming action projects.” He has the action experience, but he’s also known for being funny, charming, and winning over audiences. He has a dedicated fanbase, many of them are people who followed him from Parks and Recreation into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This means he has the experience, and the fanbase, to support television series and movie projects.
Our source said that right now, Netflix and Chris Pratt are still talking. It’s hard to guess how he’ll view this deal, because it’s hard to know what he wants for his career. Of course, today, being involved with Netflix has turned out to be a great opportunity for many stars. Creators like Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy have signed long-term deals with the streaming service. Sandra Bullock made Bird Box in 2018, and since then, we’ve seen Chris Hemsworth make Extraction, Henry Cavill sign on for The Witcher, and soon we’ll be seeing Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot star in Red Notice. Netflix seems like a great place to make movies and television shows.
But does Chris Pratt want to be the Netflix guy? The Netflix action movie guy? Five movies and three television shows is a big commitment. He is also committed to Marvel, as Star-Lord. Any time an actor signs on for a project, it means saying no to all the other possible opportunities that could come their way. On the flip side, saying yes to Netflix offers a lot of opportunities and as much job security as an actor can really ask for. It makes sense that these projects may sound great and may be exactly what he’s looking for. It also seems likely that he’s got a lot on his mind as he’s weighing this out. Will signing the deal with Netflix mean he’ll have to walk away from other goals he may have had for his career? Would those ever happen, even if he said no?
Is the future of cinema on streaming services, like Netflix? No one knows the future of movie theaters right now. Many actors have been hesitant to sign on for deals with streaming services in the past because they want to appear on the big screen. If this is an ambition of Chris Pratt’s, he may have doubts about the future of movie theaters anyway. His most recent movie, The Tomorrow War, was meant to release in theaters. It was purchased by Amazon and is now releasing on streaming July 2nd. No one can know if streaming is the future of movies, but it’s likely something on Pratt’s mind as he works through this decision.
These concerns are on top of the financial negotiations and creative concerns Chris Pratt will have to take into consideration while he talks this over with Netflix. It would be extremely interesting to get to be a fly on the wall for these talks.
