Sony Pictures, through its Tristar label, has signed a multi-million deal to produce Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s next tentpole feature, Last Human.
According to Deadline, which first reported the news on Monday, a bidding war took place last weekend with most major studios throwing their hats in the ring with the exception of Disney/Fox. The directors’ relationship with the latter soured after they abruptly exited Solo: A Star Wars Story at the studio’s request.
Sony outbid Universal, Warner Bros, Netflix, MGM/Annapurna, Paramount, New Regency, and MRC in a deal that reportedly could be as high as $15 million. The decision to invest in Lord and Miller makes sense since the studio is currently reaping the rewards of their Oscar-nominated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which has a strong shot at becoming Sony Pictures Animation’s first-ever winner in the Best Animated Feature category. The filmmaking duo also directed the popular 21 Jump Street buddy comedies for the studio, and they are producing the studio’s upcoming animated feature The Mitchells vs. The Machines.
