Paramount Pictures has renewed a first-look deal with Todd Garner. The head of Broken Road Productions first signed a production pact with the studio in 2018.
Their only film since that time for Paramount has been “Playing With Fire,” a family-friendly Paramount Players release about a handful of macho firefighters having to look after two stranded kids amid a wildfire. The Jon Cena-led release earned $69.4 million worldwide on a $29 million budget. The company is in active development on a Rebel Wilson-starring tennis comedy titled “Double Fault.”
Among other recent projects not specifically with Paramount were New Line’s “Mortal Kombat” reboot and the direct-to-Hulu comedy “Vacation Friends,” both of which have spawned in-development sequels. Ganrer’s production track record goes back at least as far as Vin Diesel’s first “xXx” installment in the summer of 2022. That entry spawned an Ice Cube-led follow-up in 2005 and the 2017 global smash “xXx: The Return of Xander Cage” in 2017.
“Todd has done it all in this business and really understands how to make crowd-pleasing commercial films,” noted Paramount Pictures’ Motion Picture Group co-presidents Daria Cercek and Michael Ireland. “He is a great partner to have at Paramount and we can’t wait to see where this next chapter takes us.”
Garner said, “I am so happy to continue our successful relationship with Paramount. It’s been an incredible five years so far and I am grateful to Brian [Robbins], Daria and Mike for the opportunity to continue our terrific partnership.”
Along with the aforementioned sequels, Garner’s upcoming projects include “Reunion” for Paramount+, “Incoming” for Spyglass Media Group’s Artist Road and XTR’s untitled Diane Warren documentary. Garner has produced, executive produced or overseen more than 180 movies. He began at Walt Disney Studios before co-founding Revolution Studios with Joe Roth in 2000. Their track record includes the first “xXx” and the likes of “Anger Management,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Punch Drunk Love,” “Click” and “Daddy Day Care.” He established Broken Road Productions in 2005.
