What James Mangold’s New Paramount Deal Could Mean for STAR WARS and SWAMP THING
James Mangold has a lot going on right now. The Logan and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director just signed an overall deal with Paramount to “develop, direct, and produce feature film projects” for the studio, which was recently acquired by Skydance.
While that’s exciting news for Paramount, it also raises a big question for his Star Wars and Swamp Thing projects, which Mangold has been developing with other studios.
The deal arrives as Paramount picked up Mangold’s next movie, High Side, a motorcycle racing drama that reunites him with A Complete Unknown star Timothée Chalamet. In a press release, Mangold expressed his excitement about the new partnership, saying:
“I am very excited to begin this collaboration with David [Ellison], Josh [Greenstein], Dana [Goldberg], and everyone at Paramount. The enthusiasm they have demonstrated toward big screen films and the passion with which they have embraced my ideas for future projects is truly thrilling.”
Paramount’s chief creative officer Dana Goldberg added: “James Mangold is one of the most talented filmmakers working today, and we could not be more excited to welcome him to the Paramount family, starting with High Side and many more collaborations to come.”
Mangold is currently attached to direct Dawn of the Jedi for Lucasfilm and Disney, as well as Swamp Thing for DC and Warner Bros. So where does this new deal leave those highly anticipated projects?
According to a representative for Mangold, fans shouldn’t worry. They told io9 that the filmmaker, “remains attached and available to develop all his other projects.”
That lines up with how Hollywood often works. Signing with one studio doesn’t lock a director out of others. For instance, J.J. Abrams was under contract with Paramount when he directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens for Disney, and Tom Cruise just made a deal with Warner Bros. while still moving forward on a potential Top Gun: Maverick sequel at Paramount.
The reality is that these agreements are structured to make sure preexisting commitments are protected. So yes, Mangold’s new focus will be High Side and whatever comes next at Paramount, but if Lucasfilm or DC is ready to move forward on Dawn of the Jedi or Swamp Thing, the door is still open.
Mangold has proven himself again and again across genres, from Cop Land and Walk the Line to 3:10 to Yuma, Ford v Ferrari, and of course, Logan. While not everyone loved Dial of Destiny, his track record speaks for itself.
For now, fans just have to wait and see which of his big projects actually makes it across the finish line.