Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt's Superhero Film Ball and Chain Gets Netflix Pick Up

Next year, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are set to light up the big screen with Disney's Jungle [...]

By Jenna Anderson

Next year, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are set to light up the big screen with Disney's Jungle Cruise, and it looks like the pair will be collaborating more from there. Netflix announced on Thursday (via The Hollywood Reporter) that it has acquired Ball and Chain, an upcoming live-action superhero film starring the duo. The film is inspired by the four-part comic series from Scott Lobdell, Ale Garza, and Richard Bennett. The script, which is written by The Big Sick and Little America's Emily V. Gordon, centers on a bickering couple who receive superpowers that only work if they can learn to put aside their differences and work together.

Ball and Chain follows Edgar and Mallory Bulson, a couple who have decided to throw in the towel. That was the plan anyway, until a mysterious meteor bathed the battling couple in extraterrestrial energies that gave them super-powers. Will their newfound abilities be enough to make their marriage work?

"One of our main initiatives at Seven Bucks is to continue to find the best platforms to tell stories that entertain and inspire on a global scale," Johnson said in a statement. "Netflix is the perfect partner to deliver this epic superhero/romantic comedy experience alongside us, and we're excited to be back in business with the Netflix team. I'm also excited to not only reunite with dear friend Emily Blunt in front of the camera, but to also collaborate as producing partners as we bring Emily V. Gordon's script to life."

Producers on the projects will be Johnson, Blunt, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, and Kevin Misher. Executive producers will include Andy Berman and Scott Lobdell.

"We're thrilled to continue the evolution of our partnership with Netflix and welcome Ball and Chain into the Seven Bucks universe," Dany Garcia added. "Our Netflix partnership is rooted in our mutual understanding that investing in the right stories with universal appeal is our number one priority. The incomparable chemistry of our leads and powerful storytelling elements will ignite fans across the globe. We can't wait to bring this electric story to life."

"Dwayne and Emily have a chemistry together that is unmatched in our business right now," Scott Stuber, head of Netflix Film, added. "They are the perfect duo to bring Emily V. Gordon's electric superhero story to life, and take the world of Ball and Chain to new heights."

This will mark Johnson and Blunt's latest collaboration after Jungle Cruise, a live-action Disney venture that has been delayed almost a full year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Set during the early 20th century, a riverboat captain named Frank takes a scientist and her brother on a mission into a jungle to find the Tree of Life which is believed to possess healing powers. All the while, the trio must fight against dangerous wild animals and a competing German expedition. The film's cast also includes Edgar Ramirez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti.

Are you excited to see Ball and Chain arrive at Netflix? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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