You’re going to be hearing soon, from us, what we like to call “Prestige IP” (intellectual property). It’s rearing its head everywhere, and it seems to be the way one facet of where Hollywood is headed in its neverending quest to keep franchises and intellectual property churning forever. Take today’s announcement, which falls directly under what we consider Prestige IP: Armie Hammer has signed into star in a mini-series about the making of Francis Ford Coppola‘s “The Godfather.” The “Call Me By Your Name” actor will play film producer Al Ruddy in a 10-episode Paramount+ drama called “The Offer.“
The prestigious intellectual property here is, of course: “The Godfather,” a gemstone in the Paramount vaults, and they’ve figured out a way to keep the ‘Godfather’ story going. It’s not the only one out there either. A making-of “The Godfather” movie is already in the works with Jake Gyllenhaal and Oscar Isaac as two of its famed producers. Similarly, Ben Affleck is making a movie about the making of another prestige classic, Roman Polanski‘s “Chinatown,” another Paramount Pictures movie.
Is this a trend? You bet, and while Paramount is leading the charge in inventing new I.P. from their vaults, others are doing the same, and you can bet, other studios are lining up more of the same. It’s meta, and it’s navel-gazing on some level too. But hey, it’s also cinephile-y, and personally, more curious about this than any supposed “Transformers vs. G.I. Joe” mashup that Paramount might have conceived of at some point. Is this the beginning of more? You bet, and stand by to hear Jason Bailey talk about this phenomenon in depth tomorrow.