EXCLUSIVE: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Authors and creators of the successful Netflix series Wednesday, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar have signed a first-look deal with Sony Pictures to develop films under the duo’s Millar-Gough Ink banner, Deadline has learned.
Season 2 of Wednesdaythe most-watched Netflix series of all time with 1.7 billion hours, is filming in Ireland this month while Beetlejuice Beetlejuice which reunites filmmaker Tim Burton and star Michael Keaton, could have one of the biggest openings of the year on September 6th.
Additionally, Aaron Schmidt has been hired as Head of Film at Millar Gough Ink, where he will oversee development and production. Schmidt recently led development for Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg’s KatzSmith Productions, based at Warner Bros. He was a producer on the reboot of Child’s play with Aubrey Plaza and Mark Hamill, Kung Fury starring Michael Fassbender and Arnold Schwarzenegger and served as the EP of the Marc Webb-directed Disney+ series Only over.
Gough tells us: “The challenge we all face today is what makes a film a feature film? Miles and I look forward to collaborating with new and established writers and filmmakers to create cinematic stories that audiences want to experience on the big screen.”
Millar added: “Al and I are always drawn to stories with spectacle and soul. While our focus is on writing and producing big tentpoles, we are also committed to creating a diverse selection of great films, including edgier genre pictures.”
Schmidt said: “Partnering with Sony Pictures and two great creators like Al and Miles, who know how to make you laugh, cry and scream, is a dream come true.” Films have always been a team sport and I’m looking forward to it Working with Tom, Sanford, Josh and their incredible studio departments.”
Gough also added: “Aaron shares our passion for practical filmmaking and we look forward to working together to create projects that bring people back to the cinema.”
Gough and Millar’s first decade was highlighted by the record-breaking ten-season run of DC series Smallville. In 2022 Wednesdaydirected by Burton became the most-watched English-language series of all time on Netflix. After scoring the most viewing time for an English-language series on Netflix in a single week, the mystery comedy, which won four Emmy awards earlier this year, broke its own records the following week. On the film side, Gough and Millar co-wrote Sam Raimi’s critically acclaimed blockbuster, which grossed nearly $790 million Spider Man 2. The duo teamed up again with Burton and WednesdayThere’s Jenna Ortega Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, on which they will also appear as EPs. The duo is repped by WME and Gendler, Kelly & Cunningham.