James Mangold has signed an overall deal with Paramount and Skydance, which raises new speculation about the status of his previously announced Star Wars and DCU Swamp Thing movies.
Mangold Joins Paramount and Skydance
Deadline reports Paramount Pictures inked a deal with Mangold, under which the Logan and Ford v. Ferrari director will develop, direct, and produce feature film projects for the Skydance-owned studio.
The deal is one of the first major moves by Paramount’s new Studio Co-Chairs Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg, who said, “James Mangold is one of the most talented filmmakers working today and we could not be more excited to welcome him to the Paramount family, starting with High Side and many more collaborations to come.”
Mangold added he was “thrilled” to partner with Paramount and praised their enthusiasm for big-screen films.
High Side With Timothée Chalamet
The first project under the new deal is High Side, reuniting Mangold with Timothée Chalamet after their work on the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
High Side is based on a short story by Jaime Oliveira about a former MotoGP racer. Chalamet is currently filming Dune 3, so it’s likely his next project will be Mangold’s High Side.
What About Star Wars?
Mangold was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023 as the director of a film set during the “dawn of the Jedi,” exploring the origins of the Force thousands of years before the Skywalker Saga.
However, Lucasfilm has a history of announcing projects under Kathleen Kennedy that never happen — from Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron to multiple Rian Johnson and David Benioff/D.B. Weiss ideas. Given Mangold’s new Paramount deal and the lack of updates, it wouldn’t be surprising if this Star Wars film never makes it to production.
What About Swamp Thing?
Back in January 2023, James Gunn unveiled his DCU Chapter 1 slate, “Gods and Monsters,” which included Swamp Thing. A few months later, Mangold confirmed his involvement, teasing a darker horror-influenced take.
Since then, nothing has surfaced. Gunn has even faced criticism for announcing projects that fail to move forward. With Mangold now committed to Paramount, the likelihood of him directing Swamp Thing looks slim, coupled with the possible sale of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Paramount’s Aggressive New Strategy
Mangold’s deal is part of Paramount’s broader push to secure top talent and franchises. In recent months the studio has also:
- Signed a four-year exclusive deal with the Duffer Brothers (creators of Netflix’s Stranger Things).
- Secured rights to develop a Call of Duty live-action movie.
- Purchased the R-rated comedy spec Bald Eagles.
- Recruited the producers of Weapons to spearhead a new genre label.
Mangold is now positioned as one of Paramount’s marquee filmmakers alongside these high-profile moves, again, which suggests he won’t be committing time to other projects such as Star Wars and Swamp Thing, though the Paramount deal is apparently non-exclusive.
What Happens Next?
Both Mangold’s Star Wars and Swamp Thing were announced over two years ago, and since then no real progress has been made. With his future seemingly locked to Paramount, the projects may be shelved indefinitely.
For now, fans will be waiting to see if Mangold, Lucasfilm, or James Gunn provide any updates.
