Take it from Adam Sandler: if you do right by Netflix, Netflix will do right by you. That’s certainly the case with Jason Bateman. Bateman’s work on Netflix’s modern-noir series “Ozark” has earned the streaming giant several Emmy wins. It’s also pushed Bateman beyond his comedic roots as both a complex leading man and talented director-for-hire. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, one that both parties seem prepared to extend beyond the conclusion of “Ozark.”
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According to Deadline, Bateman has been tapped by Netflix to direct “Here Come the Flood,” the new script from blockbuster writer-producer Simon Kinberg. Deadline also notes that “several of the top directors in town” were chasing the project before Netflix decided to go with Bateman. No information is available about the casting process yet, but given Bateman’s propensity for showing up in his other projects – including “Ozark” and “The Outsider” – it wouldn’t surprise anyone a bit to see him get cast in a supporting role.
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And while Deadline describes the script as a “character-driven love-story heist movie,” not much is known about the story. This is one of those future projects that can be judged by their demand – if multiple studios were willing to get into a bidding war over the project, and if Netflix was in a position to reject several “top directors,” then this can be seen as a pretty buzzy title that the studio will no-doubt put some muscle behind. Either way, it is fascinating to see Bateman’s continued evolution into a prestigious filmmaker. Consider it one more in a long line of decisions by Netflix that seems to be paying off nicely.