Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort strikes first-look pact with Disney’s 20th Television

Ryan Reynolds’ production banner Maximum Effort Productions has agreed a first-look deal with Disney’s 20th Television.

Ryan Reynolds (Photo: Guy Aroch)

Maximum Effort will develop and exec produce television projects spanning comedy, drama, unscripted and limited series across all platforms. The agreement will focus on projects that will debut on Disney-owned platforms.

While Reynolds’ company has previously made deals on the film side, this marks the first time Maximum Effort has signed a first-look TV pact.

On the unscripted side of its business, Maximum Effort has partnered several times with Disney’s Nat Geo on projects including astronomy-focused Meet the Planets and natural history series Underdogs. Soccer docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, which has become a worldwide hit, is an original for Disney-owned cablenet FX.

In addition, Reynolds has starred in several big-budget feature films under the Disney umbrella, as well as appearing in the ABC comedy Two Guys & a Girl in the late 1990s, which kickstarted his career.

“Disney and 20th Century Studios have helped co-author my career in a not insignificant way. From Two Guys to Deadpool and Welcome to Wrexham, every pivot point in my career has found its start at the Magic Kingdom. So in looking for a home for our TV business, 20th was our first and, blessedly, last call,” said Reynolds.

20th Television president Karey Burke added that Reynolds’ “creative instincts and entertainment acumen are legendary, and his ability to tap into pop-culture and fandom are unrivalled.”