EXCLUSIVE: After breathing new life into the Predator franchise at 20th Century, Dan Trachtenberg and Disney have found their next property to give a fresh spin on. Sources tell Deadline the Prey director is coming on to direct an original idea inspired by the classic Disney tale Sleeping Beauty. The untitled project is in early development and is inspired by the classic fairy tale, taking the story in an entirely new direction with Trachtenberg’s distinct sensibility.

While plot details are being kept under wraps, Insiders add that this take has no connection to the Maleficent films starring Angelina Jolie. Trachtenberg and Raya McClendon came up with the story with Alex Anfanger and Dan Schimpf penning the script.

Trachtenberg and his long time producing partner Ben Rosenblatt will produce as will Star Wars producer Michelle Rejwan. EVP of production Jessica Virtue is overseeing the project with Creative Executive Alina Mota, reporting to Disney Live Action President Daria Cercek.

Trachtenberg and Disney have strong ties after he successfully helped relaunch the Predator franchise with his hit Prey, that was not only a massive success on Hulu but also heard strong critical prase as well landing an Emmy nomination for best TV movie. He followed that up with the Predator: Badlands as well as the animated Predator pic Predator: Killer of Killers for Hulu, which also has a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes; all three of Dan’s entries hold the record for highest rated on Rotten Tomatoes in the Predator franchise.

He is currently in pre-production on a top secret pic at Paramount.

Anfanger and Schimp are the co-creators of the Comedy Central series Big Time In Hollywood, FL.

Trachtenberg is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and Johnson Shapiro Slewett and Kole, Anfanger and Schimp are repped by Mosaic, CAA, and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.

EXCLUSIVE: Comedian Chris Hardwick has announced that The Middle Ages — his third stand-up special and first in a decade — will premiere on Gorilla Comedy+ on October 5. It’ll then be unveiled on 800 Pound Gorilla’s YouTube channel at 7 p.m. CT. on October 20.

In The Middle Ages, Hardwick takes on middle age, marriage, fatherhood and a rapidly changing world. Now in his 50s, he finds comedy in the indignities of aging, from growing pill collections and questionable digestive choices to prostate exams and realizing Gen Z are “time millionaires.”

Check out a trailer above.

“The foundation of this set came from my 2019/2020 tour with the intent to shoot the special in 2021, but the pandemic had other plans!” Hardwick told Deadline. “In January of 2022 we had a baby and I paused work stuff for what ultimately became a three-year hiatus. BUT in that time, I learned piano, became a parent and got even MORE middle-aged than I was before, so in a weird way the delay actually kind of helped the set, and I’m super excited it’s finally happening! HUGE thanks to 800 Pound Gorilla, who not only have built a fantastic comedy community but who’ve also been an absolute dream to work with.”

Hardwick has worked in every sect of comedy, from the stand-up stage, to acting and writing in television and film, to voiceover work and hosting various podcasts and talk shows such as @midnight and Talking Dead. His previous hour specials, 2012’s Mandroid and 2016’s Funcomfortable, aired on Comedy Central. This summer, he returned to podcasting with I Think You’re Overthinking It, a weekly chat show with AMC+ that marks the latest incarnation of his former longtime pod The Nerdist Podcast. He also exec produces and hosts NBC’s The Wall, which this year was nominated for a Critics Choice Real TV Award for Best Game Show. He is repped by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.

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