Andy Samberg and his Palm Springs writer Andy Siara have teamed up with Noah Hawley and Ben Stiller for a untitled sci-fi comedy-drama that has landed at Apple Studios.
Apple finalized the deal over the weekend, picking it up in a competitive situation.
Details for the project’s logline are being kept in an alternate dimension but it is known that it is an original idea by BoJack Horseman creator and author Raphael Bob-Waksberg.
Samberg is set to star and produce. Hawley will produce through his 26 Keys banner with 26 Keys’ Dan Seligmann. Stiller and Nicky Weinstock will produce via Red Hour with the company’s Jackie Cohn executive producing. Bob-Waksberg will also act as a producer.
Siara will pen the script and will also be an executive producer on the project. The creative team will look to attach a director in the coming months.
The project drew instant interest thanks to the buzz Palm Springs is generating this awards season. The movie, based on an original screenplay by Siara and starring and produced by Samberg, told of a man stuck in a time loop when attending a dreaded wedding. On Sunday, the movie was recognized at the inaugural Critics Choice Super Awards for best science fiction/fantasy movie, best actor in a science fiction/fantasy movie (for Samberg), and best actress in a science fiction/fantasy movie for Cristin Milioti.
The project also joins the growing list of homegrown projects that Apple Studios is developing and will be part of the Apple Original Films banner. The latter last year released On the Rocks, Greyhound and Wolfwalkers, all of which are part of this year’s awards conversation. This year it will release Joe and Anthony Russo’s drama Cherry and go into production on Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
Hawley is the show creator behind critical darlings Fargo, which recently debuted its fourth season, and Legion. His 26 Keys banner has made its mission to champion what it considers original and visionary voices.
In recent years, Red Hour has expanded beyond hit comedies to include a wide range of material in both film and series. It was behind the Showtime limited event series Escape at Dannemora, which was nominated for 12 Emmy Awards. Red Hour’s next production will be the sci-fi drama series Severance for Apple TV and will star Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, and Christopher Walken.
Samberg, who stars in the long-running NBC award-winning comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, has several projects percolating on the movie front. He is due to next star in Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers for Disney+ and has action comedy Super High set up at New Line with Craig Robinson and Common co-starring with him. Samberg is also a co-executive producer of Hulu’s Emmy-nominated show PEN15, as well as Netflix’s I Think You Should Leave.
Samberg is repped by UTA. Siara is repped by UTA, LBI Entertainment and Morris Yorn Bob-Waksberg is repped by Artists First.
