Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Movie in the Works (Exclusive)

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: The Movie?

Producers Scott Glassgold and Raymond Brothers of IAM Entertainment have closed a deal for rights to develop a film centering on the department store’s annual parade in New York.

“We’re aiming to make a four-quadrant, family-friendly film somewhere in that Night At The Museum, Elf sweet spot,” Glassgold says.

The duo have begun meeting with writers and are exploring various concepts, even one where the floats spring to life.

To convince the department store to bless the project, Glassgold and Brothers commissioned artist Joel Venti, who storyboarded Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Thor, to help with the presentation, which won over Macy’s execs.

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“We are always searching for the next Miracle on 34th Street,” says Macy’s senior vp Robin Hall.

The store has appeared in many movies since the 1947 classic and will be integrated into Ben Stiller’s upcoming comedy Tower Heist. Macy’s, which would like to position itself as an entertainment brand and even helped produce a recent CBS animated special, was approached to be part of Elf, but the powers-that-be at the time declined. (The situation was remedied when Elf hit the Broadway stage.)

Hall says the company is consistently approached, mostly with projects that have nothing to do with the parade, and it usually declines to participate. But in this situation, “We thought Scott and his partner made a compelling case,” he says.

IAM Entertainment produced the Forest Whitaker basketball drama Hurricane Season and is developing with Legendary sci-fi movie Technotise.

Martin Reardon, Macy’s exec vp of marketing & advertising will oversee the project with Hall.