Shawn Levy Takes Flight at Disney with Overall Deal

Disney has secured a major talent in Shawn Levy, who has signed an overall deal at Disney's 20th Television. Levy, whose production company is 21 Laps Entertainment, will begin developing and producing projects at Disney in October 2027.

Levy has a long history with Netflix, where he executive produced all five seasons of 'Stranger Things' and directed several episodes. He also wrote and directed the 2022 film 'The Adam Project'. However, despite his departure from Netflix, Levy will continue to collaborate with the Duffer brothers on the 'Stranger Things' franchise.

Disney's relationship with Levy is not new; he has previously worked on several projects for Disney, including co-writing and directing the 2024 Marvel Cinematic Universe film 'Deadpool & Wolverine'. His next two Disney projects are already set: he will direct Lucasfilm's 'Star Wars: Starfighter' and Marvel's 'Ghost Rider', both of which star Ryan Gosling.

Levy expressed his enthusiasm for working with Disney in a statement, saying that he has always felt a kindred spirit with the company and their storytelling ethos. He credited Dana Walden and Debra OConnell as being key to this deal, calling them 'a force of nature' and 'a passionate creative DNA'. Levy also acknowledged the success he had at Netflix, but stated his gratitude for continuing to work on the 'Stranger Things' universe with the Duffer brothers.