UTA Independent Film Group and FilmNation will introduce the script shortly.
If its as good as the backstories here, it ought to be a hot property.
Its a youth empowerment tale, only the title character isnt waving a magic wand or wearing spandex.
Chris Pratt, Jocko Willink, McG & Way of the Warrior Kid- From Wimpy to Warrior the Navy SEAL Way- A NovelGetty Images
Hes a self-doubting kid who gets bullied and is hard pressed to complete a single pullup.
Willink decided to write a YA book after the ones he read to his own children came up wanting.
Watch on Deadline
I spent my adult life in the military, he said.
That whole time, I also had a wife and four kids.
The straw that broke the camels back was a pirate book.
And it was filled with the weakest, most pathetic pirates Id ever heard of in my life.
These are all things that are in the books.
The film will be produced by Ben Everard, McG, Mary Viola, Willink and Pratt.
Ben walked into his kids room one day and his son was down there on the floor doing pushups.
He was kind of taken aback and asked, whats going on?
Will Staples screenplay is incredible, Pratt told Deadline.
I believe in the power of storytelling and felt particularly called to the material.
I have faith this film will help to shape todays youth, putting them on the right path.
Our young people need this movie.
Making films like this is why I created Indivisible Productions.
This is the kind of movie that can define a generation, likeKarate KidorRocky.
As a dad, this is the kind of movie I want to show my kids.
It took him back to the most crushing setback of his career.
When I made those first twoCharlies Angelsmovies, I never had to leave Los Angeles.
It was all going so well.
I remember trying to tell Alan Horn and Barry Meyer, Hey, I am afraid to fly.
I cant go down to Australia.
They wanted to shoot it in Australia.
Theyd had the good luck there withThe Matrixmovies down there and they couldnt wrap their heads around my shortcoming.
Maybe it surprised them because I got this kind of big boisterous personality.
I tried, but when the day came to get on the plane, I couldnt do it.
Really, a low point in my life.
Eventually, he was able to take off.
It has become more and more abundantly clear that its really not good for you.
Kids stuck in rooms, staring at screens, leafing through all this stuff.
Its resulting in bad feelings about oneself and low self-esteem and damaging thoughts.
We can do it where this movies never going to feel preachy or finger wagging.
We have one of the great entertainers in Chris Pratt to carry the torch.
We want to provide the good feelings we remember from Rocky and The Karate Kid.
They make everybody go, I love movies that make me feel that way.
Thats what were here to achieve and I think we got a real good chance to do it.
FilmNation will handle international sales and UTA Independent Film Group will handle North America.
