Netflix Lands Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt Superhero Package ‘Ball and Chain’ (Exclusive)

Ball and Chain — the superhero package that will reteam Jungle Cruise stars Emily Blunt with Dwayne Johnson — has landed at Netflix.

The project is based on the ’90s comic of the same name by Scott Lobdell, which Oscar nominee Emily V. Gordon will adapt. Johnson and Blunt will play a couple struggling in their marriage and who are equipped with superpowers. However, their powers only work when they’re together.

Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia will produce for Seven Bucks Productions, along with Kevin Misher for Misher Films. The two parties previously collaborated on the well-regarded Florence Pugh wrestling drama, Fighting With My Family. Meanwhile, Blunt will make her producing debut on the project via her Ledbury Productions.

Andy Berman for Misher Films and Lobdell will executive produce.

“One of our main initiatives at Seven Bucks is to continue to find the best platforms to tell stories that entertain and inspire on a global scale,” Johnson said Thursday in a statement. “Netflix is the perfect partner to deliver this epic superhero/romantic comedy experience alongside us, and we’re excited to be back in business with the Netflix team. I’m also excited to not only reunite with dear friend Emily Blunt in front of the camera, but to also collaborate as producing partners as we bring Emily V. Gordon’s script to life.”

Added Dany Garcia, “We’re thrilled to continue the evolution of our partnership with Netflix and welcome Ball and Chain into the Seven Bucks universe. Our Netflix partnership is rooted in our mutual understanding that investing in the right stories with universal appeal is our number one priority. The incomparable chemistry of our leads and powerful storytelling elements will ignite fans across the globe. We can’t wait to bring this electric story to life.”

“Dwayne and Emily have a chemistry together that is unmatched in our business right now. They are the perfect duo to bring Emily V. Gordon’s electric superhero story to life, and take the world of Ball and Chain to new heights,” said Scott Stuber, Head of Netflix Film.

Audiences will get to see that chemistry when Jungle Cruise is released in July 2021. The Disney movie was set to bow this summer before the coronavirus pandemic pushed it back. The duo and their interplay were a highlight at last year’s D23 convention for Disney fans.

The news of the Ball and Chain pickup comes the same day it was reported that Netflix is circling another A-list package — Our Man From Jersey, a would-be starring vehicle for Mark Wahlberg. In recent weeks, the streamer has also picked up a string of finished films from studios as theaters remain closed due to the ongoing pandemic, including Paramount’s The Lovebirds and MGM’s Bad Trip. 

Johnson is repped by WME, TGC Management and Gang Tyre. Blunt is repped by CAA and Sloane Offer. Gordon is repped by UTA, Mosaic and Schreck Rose. Lobdell is repped by A3 Artists Agency, Zero Gravity, and Joan Vento-Hall.

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