Mark Wahlberg And Stephen Chbosky Team On ‘Weekend Warriors’ Feature From Apple With SpringHill And Plan B Producing
EXCLUSIVE: Following the success of The Family Plan, Mark Wahlberg and Apple are looking to get back in business as sources tell Deadline that in a competitive situation, Apple Original Films has landed the hot package Weekend Warriors. The new feature will be written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, with Wahlberg attached to star.
Plan B and The SpringHill Company are set to produce the project, which will be developed and produced by Apple Studios. Insiders say the film is in early development.
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The project is based on the 2023 pic Weekend Rebels, an original German-language sports comedy-drama based on the true story of Mirco and Jason von Juterzcenka. The story follows a father and his autistic son, who wants to find a favorite Premiere League soccer club and makes his father take him to see every single team so he can decide. Sources say this version is said to take place in the NBA given the SpringHill ties.
Sources say SpringHill has been spearheading the package given the uplifting story, and after a trailer for the film was recently played at a WME talent meeting (the agency reps SpringHill, Wahlberg and Chbosky) it wasn’t long before Whalberg and Chbosky attached themselves to the package.
The remake will be will be produced by Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner for Plan B, and Spencer Beighley, LeBron James and Jamal Henderson for SpringHill. SpringHill co-founder Maverick Carter will executive produce along with Michelle Wilens. Hailing from Apple Studios. Weekend Warriors will be made in association with Wiedemann & Berg Film. Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann will executive produce on behalf of Wiedemann & Berg.
The original film was also produced by Wiedemann & Berg Film, part of Leonine Studios, written by Richard Kropf and directed by Marc Rothemund. Wiedemann & Berg and Leonine are Mediawan companies.
Weekend Warriors marks the second collaboration for Apple Original Films and Wahlberg, who recently starred in The Family Plan, which premiered as the most-watched movie on Apple TV+, blowing away viewing records for the streamer.
Wahlberg was most recently seen in the Netflix action comedy The Union, where he stars opposite Halle Berry. The film bowed this past weekend and landed in the Netflix Top 10 movie list. Next up he has the Lionsgate thriller Flight Risk and Amazon MGM Studios thriller Play Dirty. He is currently filming the Peter Farrelly comedy Balls Up for Amazon MGM and Skydance.
Chbosky is best known for his acclaimed coming-of-age dramas like Perks of Being a Wallflower and Wonder, and Weekend Warriors falls right in his wheelhouse of uplifting dramas.
SpringHill most recently produced the sports drama Shooting Stars. Plan B has Beetlejuice Beetlejuice bowing at the Venice Film Festival next week.
Apple Original Films most recently released The Instigators, a heist-gone-wrong film starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck for director Doug Liman, and will soon premiere anticipated titles including F1 starring Brad Pitt from director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer; Wolfs, the action comedy led by George Clooney and Brad Pitt premiering in select theaters September 20 before streaming globally on Apple TV+ beginning September 27; and Blitz, from Oscar-winning filmmaker Steve McQueen, premiering globally November 22.
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