While it is not uncommon for big-name directors to dominate the movie world, it is pretty remarkable when they also go on to have a major impact and influence on TV as well.
However, one person who has been linked to a host of acclaimed projects both on the big and small screen in the past couple of decades is Paul Feig – and all of the signs at present point to his success continuing for some time to come.
An impressive CV
Anyone who is unfamiliar with the name should simply start with looking at his profile on IMDB.com, as Feig’s early directing career on TV amounts to a hugely impressive CV of highly-regarded hits. He worked with countless future stars including Seth Rogen and James Franco on Freaks and Geeks at the start of the 21st century, while he also directed episodes of iconic shows ranging from Arrested Development and Parks and Recreation, to 30 Rock, Mad Men, and The Office.
However, Feig has had a major impact on cinema too, with his biggest hit arguably being Bridesmaids. According to Box Office Mojo, the 2011 comedy made more than $288 million worldwide, but its success was more than financial. It became a full-blown pop culture phenomenon, making major stars out of the likes of Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy. The movie has also inspired countless items of merchandise including those on BridesmaidsShop.com, while it has even had an impact in the online casino world too. Bridesmaids is one of a handful of movie and TV properties which have inspired slots with operators like Betway, with it sitting alongside titles including Game of Thrones and Narcos in the website’s listings.
While Feig has been involved in subsequent hits such as the Ghostbusters reboot and Last Christmas, the success of Bridesmaids may well be a good reason why he now has a hand in a host of projects. In fact, announcements related to two pretty significant ones have emerged in recent weeks.
Streaming success
Love Life has been a notable addition to Feig’s list of projects, with it being the first original scripted series launched by the HBO Max streaming service.
He executive produces the show alongside the likes of Anna Kendrick, and Variety reported earlier this month that it has now been renewed for a second season. The site revealed that Kendrick will not return in the lead role for its next run however, with the series set to take on the guise of an anthology-style show.
It is far from Feig’s only involvement with the world of TV and film streaming however as, at the end of May, it was also confirmed that he is set to direct a movie for Netflix. According to Deadline, The School for Good and Evil is based on the bestselling series of books, which revolves around the titular location where boys and girls are trained to become fairytale-style heroes and villains. Soman Chainani, who wrote the books, told the website it was an “honor and a dream” that Feig was directing the movie.
Back to the big screen
Considering his involvement in those projects, you would be forgiven for thinking that Feig has enough on his plate. However, he is currently hard at work on big-screen projects too, as he has been writing a monster movie script for Universal.
In an exclusive interview with Collider, he recently outlined how he has done two drafts related to the so-called Dark Army project. Furthermore, he explained how he was not planning to take a traditional horror approach, but instead looking for a tone similar to classic 1930s monster movies.
He added that he hopes the project gets the green light, stating that he regards the script as one of his favorites.
A major name
Whether or not Dark Army does ultimately go ahead, it is still fairly remarkable to see just how many major projects Paul Feig is currently involved in at the moment.
He has clearly become a highly-regarded name in the entertainment world in recent decades, and it will be intriguing to see how all of his upcoming projects fare when they hit the big screen, small screen, and streaming services in the months ahead.