Remember that still-unmade Nancy Meyers rom-com from Netflix? It was all set up to be Meyers’ first film in over ten years, but then Netflix couldn’t agree with the filmmaker on the budget. Meyers wanted $150M; Netflix stood its ground at $130M.
Warner Bros. has come to the rescue and greeted Meyers with open arms. They agreed to finance the film, which has the working title “Paris Paramount.” The lone caveat is that the star-studded cast — which included Owen Wilson, Penélope Cruz, Michael Fassbender, and Scarlett Johansson — might be different.
I’m hearing Meyers is quietly recasting some of the roles, with an eye to finally starting production in early 2026. The shoot will take place in Los Angeles, Meyers’ home city. The issue isn’t getting the money anymore, but rather finding the right actors and aligning their schedules for that early 2026 start.
The budget has also been significantly slashed, or as my source tells me, never really cost $150M. It’s still very pricey, current estimates have it at $100M, which means the film would still be one of the most expensive romantic comedies ever greenlit. Don’t ask why Meyers needs that much money to make the film — nobody could quite figure it out — but I gather at least half the budget will be going to her A-list cast’s salaries.
Romantic comedies tend to be mid-budget affairs at best, and one look at the film’s synopsis doesn’t really indicate why this one needed to be as expensive as “Dune.”
A young writer-director falls in love with a producer. The pair make several successful films before breaking up, both romantically and professionally. They are forced back together when a new, great project arises.
The project is semi-autobiographical, as it parallels Meyers’ own life. She and fellow writer-producer Charles Shyer had a longtime romantic and professional partnership, working on films such as “Private Benjamin,” “Baby Boom,” “The Parent Trap,” and “Father of the Bride.”
Meyers was one of the most in-demand filmmakers of the early 2000s, perfecting a crowd-pleasing formula that delivered hits like “What Women Want,” “Something’s Gotta Give,” “The Holiday,” and “It’s Complicated.” Box-office gold.
In many ways, Meyers is an auteur with a devoted following — even inspiring niche websites dedicated to the elegant kitchens and bedrooms in her films. If you ask me, her best work was actually her last: “The Intern,” a warmly charming exploration of purpose, anchored by Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway’s effortless chemistry.
The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.