Netflix Scraps New Adam McKay Movie Starring Robert Pattinson and Robert Downey Jr.

Adam McKay's highly-anticipated next film is reportedly not moving forward. On Monday, reports began to surface suggesting that McKay's next project will be something tied to the issue of climate change. According to the reporting, it is believed that became McKay will be focusing on the climate-related story, his previously-reported Netflix movie Average Height, Average Build is no longer moving forward. The film, which was first reported to be in the works earlier this year, would have starred an ensemble cast led by Robert Pattinson, Robert Downey Jr., and Amy Adams.

Reportedly, because McKay will no longer be involved with Average Height, Average Build, the streaming service has elected to scrap the project altogether instead of finding a replacement. It's unclear at this point if future scheduling conflicts — such as Pattinson being set to star in Warner Bros. The Batman Part II, which is expected to film next year — are also a reason for this decision.

What Would Average Height, Average Build Be About?

Average Height, Average Build would see Pattinson playing a serial killer who enlists a lobbyist (Adams) to change laws that will allow him to get away with murder more easily. Downey was to play a retired cop who won't give up on the murders, and the killer tries to prevent him from dogging his trail now that he's hung up his gun. The serial killer turns himself into a cause celebre, a Mr. Smith Goes to Washington figure shielding his true motives.

Is Adam McKay Still Working on Bad Blood?

Late last year, it was reported that Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence had stepped down from starring in Bad Blood, a McKay-directed adaptation of the true story of Elizabeth Holmes, the controversial CEO of the blood test company Theranos. As Lawrence put it, she no longer wanted to portray Holmes after seeing Amanda Seyfried portray her in the Emmy-winning Hulu television series The Dropout. 

"I thought she was terrific," Lawrence revealed. "I was like, 'Yeah, we don't need to redo that.' She did it."

Will Adam McKay Make a Marvel Movie?

Over the years, McKay has been a name that has been suggested for a number of comic book and superhero-related projects. Outside of McKay helping with the script for the first Ant-Man movie, he has yet to do so — but he has expressed a desire to helm a Silver Surfer movie.

"Silver Surfer was tricky. There was something about it, cause we did look into it. I think it's connected to the Fantastic Four reboot and because of that kind of lives under its own umbrella," McKay told the Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2021. "But there was something that got in the way of it cause we did look into it a couple of years ago, but I could be wrong. I could be misremembering, but there was some reason it didn't happen or someone else was already working on it. But no, I was definitely into it because that would be a very easy one."

What do you think of the latest update surrounding Average Height, Average Build? Are you sad that the film is now scrapped? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!