Yahoo Finance Wes Ball Tethers His Oddball Entertainment Banner To First-Look Paramount Pictures Deal
EXCLUSIVE: Wes Ball and his Oddball Entertainment banner are moving into a first-look deal at Paramount Pictures. It reunites him with Emma Watts, the Paramount Motion Pictures Group President who gave Ball his start when she headed Fox and he directed the Maze Runner trilogy for the studio.
Ball runs Oddball with Joe Hartwick Jr, and creative execs Henry Wyler and Mara Gagnon stay at a company whose deal at 20th Century Studios expired.
More from Deadline
Daria Cercek and Michael Ireland Officially Named Co-Presidents Of Production At Paramount Pictures
Jeremy Kramer Officially Named President Of Paramount Players
Mike Ireland and Daria Cercek, the recently named Paramount co-presidents said: “We’re are so happy to be able to partner with Wes and Joe as they bring their unique vision and craftsmanship to Paramount Pictures. Together, we will draw on our existing IP and library titles to reimagine beloved properties, as well as build original worlds like Wes has done so amazingly in the past. We can’t wait to see what comes of this collaboration.”
Ball continues his relationship with 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell as he preps the Josh Friedman-scripted continuation of the Planet of the Apes, which Ball expects will be his next directing project. Ball saw his event-sized animated film Mouse Guard canceled at Fox after Disney acquired the studio, but that property is in conversations to be redeveloped for television. In the mean time, Ball and his team will develop projects and future directing vehicles at Paramount in the three-year deal.
Ball is repped by WME, and attorneys Rick Genow and Aron Baumel.
Best of Deadline
U.S. Covid-19 Update: More Americans Have Now Died Of Covid-19 Than Died In All Of WWII
Coronavirus: Movies That Have Halted Or Delayed Production Amid Outbreak
Hong Kong Filmart Postponed Due To Coronavirus Fears; Event Moves Two Weeks Before Toronto
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.