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That's one expensive Russo brothers' film…
According to World of Reel, Puck reports that Joe and Anthony Russo's The Electric State film for Netflix has topped the $300 million mark. It's a lot of dough for a movie, and Hollywood is probably rethinking why it's paying so much for films due to its extravagant costs.
A few reasons for the high price tag are all that has happened so far with production. For one, when principal production began in October 2022, it had to be suspended after the unfortunate death of a crew member in a car crash that occurred offset. Plus, after production wrapped in February of 2023, they did some reshoots in March and April this year. Additionally, there were delays due to the Russo brothers wrapping up The Gray Man and Millie Bobbie Brown finishing Stranger Things.
The cast, which includes stars Brown, Chris Pratt, Jenny Slate, Jason Alexander, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Mackie, Giancarlo Esposito, and Ke Huy Quan, Billy Bob Thornton, accounts for a hefty part of the budget. But how much are they getting paid? And is it too much?
The Russo brothers have been plotting this movie since 2017 when they acquired the rights to The Electric State in what Deadline described as a “heated bidding war.” So, regardless of the cost, it sounds like they're very passionate about it and hoping for a big payoff.
The cast is enthusiastic about it, too.
Speaking to Collider, Brown mentioned why she took on the role of Michelle. “The fact that they wanted me only made me want them even more,” she said. “And to be able to have that opportunity to make this movie with them has been such an amazing experience, and it's just been a really good collaborative effort. It feels like I'm actually working with, I mean, real, real experienced, experienced team. Their team is incredible, the directors are amazing, obviously, and I've got an amazing cast to be alongside.”
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What's On Netflix states the film will probably be released in 2025. It was initially going to be out this year, but that's not looking likely.
What is Electric State about?
The film is an adaptation of Simon Stålenhag's book, published in 2017. The movie is supposedly going to be like the book.
GoodReads logline says: “In 1997, a runaway teenager and her yellow toy robot travel west through a strange USA. The ruins of gigantic battle drones litter the countryside, heaped together with the discarded trash of a high-tech consumerist society in decline. As their car approaches the edge of the continent, the world outside the window seems to be unraveling ever faster — as if somewhere beyond the horizon, the hollow core of civilization has finally caved in.”
Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely wrote the film. The Russo brothers, Mike Larocca, Chris Castaldi, and Patrick Newall, produced it. Angela Russo-Otstot, Jake Aust, Geoff Haley, Jeff Ford, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely are executive producers.
A lot is kept under wraps about The Electric State, except the plot follows the book and who's all involved. Can the Russo brothers' Netflix film earn back its massive $300 million-plus budget? It better be a damn good film that audiences go crazy about, and subscriptions skyrocket for the gamble on such a big expense to pay off.
