‘Bad Times At The El Royale’ Director Drew Goddard Signs Deal With Disney-Owned 20th Century Fox TV
Drew Goddard, the director of films likeThe Cabin in the WoodsandBad Times at the El Royale, is one of the sharpest minds working in entertainment right now. So it’s no surprise that he’s just signed a new four-year deal to “write, create, direct and develop new projects” for 20th Century Fox TV. Learn more about the Drew Goddard deal below.
The ink is just barely dry on the Disney/Fox contracts since that acquisitionjust became 100% officialin the early hours of yesterday morning, but it didn’t take long for 20th Century Fox TV, now fully owned and operated by Disney, to sign Goddard (pictured, left) to a lucrative eight-figure deal.The Hollywood Reporterhas a quote fromDana Walden, formerly the CEO of the Fox Television Group and now the new Disney TV Studios and ABC Entertainment chairman:
“We have wanted to be in business with Drew since the day his work on our seriesAngelwas over. That was in 2004. Having a new deal with him after all this time makes me unspeakably happy. As a writer and director, he’s a 10; as a collaborator and magnet for other incredible writers, directors and actors, he is off the charts. Our goal is to support Drew as he builds his own spectacular production company inside of the Disney Television Studios.”
According to THR, Disney Television Studios is a new TV unit that combines ABC Studios, ABC Signature, 20th Century Fox TV, and Fox 21 Studios. Their article specifically says Goddard has signed his deal with 20th Century Fox TV, but also that he’ll be developing projects “for all platforms.” I wonder if that includes Disney+, and if so, if he could be involved with any of the Marvel properties that are in the works over there. (I think he’d be a great fit fortheirWhat If?show.) Goddard has plenty of comic book experience, co-creating bothDaredevilandThe Defendersfor Marvel and Netflix.
Goddard has had his hands in tons of other geek-friendly properties over the years. He got his start writing forBuffy the Vampire SlayerandAngelbefore moving on to Bad Robot and writing for bothAliasandLost. He wrote the screenplay for the firstCloverfield,Ridley Scott’sThe Martian, and helped to saveWorld War Z. He co-wrote the script for the brilliant horror comedyThe Cabin in the Woodswith Joss Whedon and made his feature directorial debut with that movie, and then wrote and directed last year’s stylish period crime thrillerBad Times at the El Royale. And on top of that, he directed the pilot for and executive produces NBC’s hilarious comedyThe Good Place.
Disney’s acquisition of Foxseemed to spell the endof Goddard’s plannedX-Forcemovie that would have included the return of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, but maybe now there’s a chance that he could rework that film into a television show under this new deal? That’s pure speculation, of course, and whether it’s X-Force or something totally different, we’re thrilled to see what Goddard does next.
