Phil Lord & Chris Miller have been behind an impressive array of innovative films over the past decade. They gave the big screen TV adaptation new life with 21 Jump Street, somehow turned a building brick into a viable feature film with The LEGO Movie, and helped innovate in animation and comic book stories with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Now Universal Pictures has locked down their upcoming film ideas with a new first-look film deal.

Deadline has word that Lord & Miller have set up camp at Universal Pictures with a deal that will have them “develop films in the comedy and drama space, based on original content, existing IP and other media formats with an emphasis on championing fresh voices.” This is a huge deal for Universal, who seems like them really need a boost in the creativity department, especially when it comes to blockbuster scale movies.

Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley said in a statement:

“In this competitive landscape, our ongoing ambition is to partner with visionary filmmakers who have true authorship and a voice that is unmistakable. Phil and Chris speak to the culture and have their singular, original perspective to every project they’ve touched. We are thrilled to collaborate with them and welcome them to the Universal family.”

Meanwhile, Lord & Miller are just as happy with this new deal:

“Universal has a history of breaking new ground and championing unexpected voices, so for us it’s a very welcoming environment to make bold, original films that push the medium forward. We also feel a deep obligation to leave something behind for future generations of studio executives to reboot. We’re very grateful to Donna, Peter and the entire Universal team for inviting us to partner with them in reaching that goal.”

This is the second big overall deal for Lord & Miller this year after the duo inked a deal to create television content for Sony Pictures Television, including spin-off shows from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. These two have been on a hot streak for years, and I’m glad studios are recognizing the creativity they bring to the table by securing them for years in the future. We can’t wait to see what they have up their sleeve for the big screen.

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