Paramount Reups First Look Deal With Neal H. Moritz & Original Film

At their CinemaCon presentation this AM, Paramount Pictures today announced a three-year extension of its first-look deal with producer Neal H. Moritz and his Original Film banner.

The new agreement goes through 2027.

Under the deal, Paramount and Miramax announced today that the Sonic the Hedgehog producer will shepherd a new installment in the Scary Movie franchise. The film is being made as part of the studio’s first look partnership with Miramax under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Jonathan Glickman, with Paramount Pictures distributing. Scary Movie is rolling cameras this year for release in 2025.

Brian Robbins, President and CEO of Paramount Pictures, said, “We are proud to continue our long-standing relationship with Neal, who is renowned across the industry for building enduring and audience-beloved franchises. We can’t wait to continue partnering on our top-tier animated and live-action projects together.”

Moritz commented, “I’m thrilled to be extending my partnership with Paramount. Collaborating with Brian Robbins, Marc Weinstock, Daria Cercek, and Mike Ireland has been a rewarding experience and I’m enthusiastic about continuing our creative journey together.”

Currently, Moritz is EP on Paramount+’s Sonic the Hedgehog spinoff series Knuckles, which takes place after the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The series follows Knuckles (Idris Elba) on a hilarious and action-packed journey of self-discovery as he agrees to train Wade (Adam Pally) as his protégé and teach him the ways of the Echidna warrior. The series debuts on April 26.

Moritz is also producing Sonic the Hedgehog 3, scheduled for wide release on Dec. 20, after previously serving as a producer on Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, films have together amassed over $725M worldwide.

In addition, Moritz has such feature projects as Face/Off, Witnessville and Black Sunday in the works at the Melrose lot. The producers movies have grossed north of $11B at the global B.O. His upcoming titles include Cliffhanger, Highlander and the finale to the Fast and Furious franchise. For television, Moritz serves as a producer of S.W.A.T. for CBS and Golden Axe for Comedy Central, as well as the The Boys (Season 4), Gen V (Season 2), Cruel Intentions, Goosebumps (Season 2) and Long Bright River, to name a few.