Ryan Reynolds-Shawn Levy Time Travel Movie Jumps From Paramount To Netflix

In yet another sign of the times, the Ryan Reynolds-Shawn Levy time travel movie is time traveling from Paramount to Netflix. There was a time, not so long ago, where the thought of a major studio movie with a big star going right to Netflix would be unthinkable. But studios have grown warier and warier of projects that don't already have franchise brand recognition. And now, Paramount's loss will be Netflix's gain.

Deadline says that the Ryan-Reynolds-Shawn Levy time travel movie is going to Netflix. The project, which reteams Reynolds and Levy after their upcoming comedy Free Guy, has been at Paramount since 2012. Back then, it was going by the title Our Name is Adam, and Tom Cruise was set to star. Now, Reynolds is the lead, and the project is currently untitled. The film follows a man who has to travel back in time to get help from his 13-year old self. Together, they run into their late father, who is now the same age as Reynolds.

That sounds like a mix of Back to the Future and the Richard Curtis film About Time. I'm guessing that with Reynolds' involvement the movie is going to go for laughs since the actor tends to only gravitate towards comedy these days. Then again, Reynolds might be in the mood to change things up, and try out a drama for a change. Jonathan Tropper is currently writing a new draft of the script, jumping off previously screenplays by TS Nowlin and Mark Levin & Jennifer Flackett. Deadline adds that "the earlier version of the script focused on an astronaut who travels back in time and works with his younger self." David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger are producing.

There's no explanation as to why the film is moving from Paramount to Netflix, but again, studios these days are known to get cold feet about certain projects. Hell, Paramount had a Martin Scorsese movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio – Killers of the Flower Moon – and yet weren't confident enough to keep it. Apple landed that project.

Levy has an established relationship with the streaming service as the producer of Stranger Things. And Reynolds has worked with Netflix before as well, starring in Michael Bay's 6 Underground.