Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment has signed a three-year production deal with Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures, the company announced Thursday.
Plan B was previously set up at New Regency. As part of the deal, Plan B’s untitled Dick Cheney biopic starring Christian Bale, will move with the company to Annapurna.
The project reunites the company with Adam McKay, the awarding winning director and co-writer of “The Big Short.” McKay is also producer on the film alongside his Gary Sanchez partners Will Ferrell and Kevin Messick.
Annapurna will handle marketing and distribution efforts for Plan B’s upcoming releases and will be partnering on at least three films per year.
Led by actor and producer Brad Pitt and co-presidents Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Plan B joins Annapurna’s expanding operation, which recently launched its full-service marketing and distribution operation. The company’s first wide-screen release will be Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit” in August.
Over the past decade plus, Plan B has produced a diverse slate of critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, including Oscar Best Picture winner “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” “Selma,” “Twelve Years a Slave,” “The Normal heart,” “World War Z,” “Eat Pray Love,” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.”
The company’s “The Lost City of Z,” is currently in release from Amazon Studios and Bleecker Street, with “War Machine” and “Okja” forthcoming for Netflix on May 26 and June 28, respectively, and the latter debuting in competition at Cannes later this month.
“We’re excited and honored to be working with Plan B in this new partnership. We have always admired their taste and quality of producing since we met six years ago, and we could not be more thrilled for the possibilities ahead,” said Annapurna’s Founder and CEO Megan Ellison and President of Film Chelsea Barnard.
“We are very excited to find a home with Megan and Annapurna, who are like-minded in their commitment to backing and curating passionate films and filmmakers. We look forward to working closely with Annapurna’s stellar team,” added Plan B.
This is the first such pact for Annapurna since announcing their expansion into marketing and distribution.