Warner Bros. Buys 'Six Billion Dollar Man' From Weinstein Company
Amid the fallout of the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal, Warner Bros. has picked up "The Six Billion Dollar Man" from the Weinstein Company.
Warner Bros. is updating its 2019 movie slate, even though its future is cloudy right now due to the proposed merger between parent company Time Warner and AT&T — currently opposed by the Department of Justice on anti-trust grounds.
Still, studio head Toby Emmerich is busy filling out his slate. They are taking the reins on "Six Billion Dollar Man," an adaptation of the classic 1970s television series. Mark Wahlberg is set to star as Steve Austin, who becomes half-bionic after a terrible accident.
This is the second project Warner Bros. has picked up from TWC; it also bought the North American rights to "Paddington 2." "Six Billion" joins the already-scheduled "The Lego Movie 2" (Feb. 8, 2019), "Isn't It Romantic" (Feb. 14), "Godzilla 2" (March 22), reboot "Shaft (June 14), "The Goldfinch" (Oct. 11), "Wonder Woman 2" (Nov. 1), and Melissa McCarthy's "Margie Claus" (Nov. 15).
The studio is also counting on superhero movie "Shazam," another Clint Eastwood movie, and horror sequel "Lights Out 2." And it is a leading contender to nab the rights to the James Bond franchise.