Netflix has acquired the rights to “Special Correspondents,” a comedy written and directed by British comedian Ricky Gervais and co-produced by Burnaby’s Bron Studios, an independent film studio that makes both live-action and animated movies.
The film, which is set to star Gervais and Eric Bana, will begin shooting in Toronto May 19. Bron Studios and its co-founder, Aaron Gilbert, will receive producer credit. "Special Correspondents" will be a remake of a French film, “Envoyés très spéciaux” and is set for release in 2016.
This is the first time Bron is working with Netflix.
“This is a big one for Bron Studios, for sure,” co-founder Brenda Gilbert told Business in Vancouver.
Brenda said that at this time, she is unable to say how much this deal will be worth to the production company.
Bron Studios, which is named after a combination of the first names of husband-and-wife co-founders Brenda and Aaron, is also working on a film to be directed by William H. Macy called “The Layover,” starring Kate Upton and Lea Michele. This film is set to begin filming April 27 in Vancouver and will release in 2016.
