Aman Goyal
Chris Pratt‘s ‘Way of the Warrior Kid’ adaptation is on its way to enter the production phase! The family-friendly affair is slated to start filming in Los Angeles, California, in July. The project is directed by McG, marking the first collaboration between Pratt and the filmmaker. Renowned video game writer Will Staples adapted Jocko Willink’s novel for the screen.
The plot revolves around the titular Marc, who has been dealing with bullies without being able to complete a single pull-up without struggle. Meanwhile, Jake, an elite Navy SEAL who is also the kid’s uncle, moves to the latter’s house after sustaining an injury amid a mission for rehabilitation. When Jake realizes that his nephew is finding it hard to stand up for himself, he uses his SEAL Team training to train Marc over three months in summer so that he can find his inner warrior.
Willink’s popularity as an ex-Navy SEAL turned writer and motivational speaker is expected to draw significant buzz for ‘Way of the Warrior Kid.’ The combination of Willink’s celebrated source novel, Pratt’s charisma, and McG’s directorial experience suggest a potential box office hit in the summer of 2025 or 2026.
Pratt is well known for his roles in some of the highest-grossing movies of all time, such as ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ ‘Jurassic World,’ and ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie.’ Equally recognized for his beloved comedies, the actor will also be seen in the upcoming sci-fi films: the Russo Brothers’ ‘The Electric State’ and Timur Bekmambetov’s ‘Mercy.’
McG, known for directing the original ‘Charlie’s Angels’ films and ‘Terminator Salvation,’ will briefly drift apart from his partnership with Netflix for the family film. Since 2017’s ‘The Babysitter,’ the director has solely created movies for the streaming giant, including last year’s ‘Family Switch‘ and the upcoming ‘Uglies.’
Additionally, Will Staples brings his experiences of writing the adventurous video games ‘Pursuit Force,’ ‘Need for Speed: Rivals,’ and ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’ to the project. He recently made his feature film writing debut with the Michael B. Jordan-starrer action-thriller ‘Without Remorse.’
After FilmNation oversaw the film’s international sales at the Cannes Film Festival 2024, Paramount Pictures’ partner Skydance Media successfully acquired the film’s distribution rights via a nearly $80 million deal with Pratt for an unknown number of films. In a press release, the actor expressed his enthusiasm for the project, comparing its potential impact on the younger generation with that of ‘The Karate Kid’ and ‘Rocky’ in the 1980s. “I hope this story will help bridge the growing divide and inspire the next generation to learn valuable lessons about discipline, self-reliance, strength, and compassion,” he shared.
The Los Angeles production schedule of ‘Way of the Warrior Kid’ coincides with the filming of numerous high-profile projects. Also filming in the City of Angels this summer are the upcoming seasons of ‘For All Mankind’ and ‘The Morning Show.’
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