Jason Bateman is in early negotiations to direct and star in Ryan Reynolds’ feature film based on the board game Clue for Fox and Disney.
Reynolds boarded the project last year as part of a three-year first-look deal he had signed with Fox. Reynolds’ Maximum Effort banner announced at that point that it would develop “Clue” as a possible starring vehicle for the actor with Allspark Pictures, the film division of Hasbro, also producing. The “Deadpool” writing team of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were hired to pen the script.
The game, first developed in 1949, is a contest to determine who of six suspects murdered the game’s victim, where the crime took place and which weapon was used. Each player assumes the role of one of the six suspects, and attempts to deduce who the culprit is. Paramount released a film version of “Clue” as a mystery-comedy in 1985 with Jonathan Lynn directing and Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull and Lesley Ann Warren starring.
Bateman won the Emmy on Sunday for best directing for a drama series for the “Ozark” episode “Reparations.” He’s also an executive producer on the series and portrays financial adviser Martin “Marty” Byrde, who launders money for a Mexican drug cartel.
Bateman is repped by CAA, Lighthouse Media & Management and Hansen Jacobson. The news was first reported by Deadline.