LOST CITY OF D

LOST CITY OF D

Studio: PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Dates: Aiming for late Summer 2020

Location: TBD

Budget: $70M+

Execs: Studio Executive: Ashley Brucks, Elizabeth Raposo

Directors: Adam and Aaron Nee

Writer (Current): Oren Uziel

Producer: Seth Gordon

Cast: Talent: Sandra Bullock [LORETTA CHASE: Negotiation], Ryan Reynolds [DASH MCMAHON: Offer]

Logline: An action comedy about a wildly successful female action fantasy novel writer who gets kidnapped, and the inept but studly cover
model of her books must try to save her.

Roles:

[LORETTA CHASE]
Lead Female (40 - 50)
"Vivacious, her arrogance in constant battle with her own insecurity." The author of a series of popular romance / adventure novels, whose protagonist DASH MCMAHON is embodied in publicity by a hunky model whose real name no one seems to know. Loretta can't stand "Dash," who is kind of dumb, and is constantly picking on him - especially because her fans seem to like him more than her. Loretta is kidnapped by an Indonesian thug named TRILLIN and taken to Borneo because apparently, she accidentally stumbled on the location of a mythical lost city during the research for her next novel, and Trillin wants to make sure it doesn't get published until he can get to the treasure first. Loretta is rescued by Dash and JACK TRAINER (who is promptly killed), and she winds up leading Dash into the wilderness to find the lost city. In the process they become friends, and Loretta reveals that she hates most of her writing - it's just a way of trying to escape her grief over the death of her husband. She and Dash wind up finding the lost city, defeating Trillin, and using the treasure there to help local villagers. Some time later, Loretta publishes a beautiful memoir about the loss of her husband.
Negotiation Sandra Bullock

[DASH MCMAHON]
Lead Male (30 - 40)
"Long flowing locks [which turn out to be a wig] and ripped physique, he's not as dumb as he sounds, but not as smart as he feels." A model who was hired to play Dash in publicity materials for Loretta's book, he is hugely popular but dreams of being a writer himself and is sad that no one takes him. He and Loretta fight constantly, but after she is kidnapped
RALPH sends him along with Jack Trainer to rescue her because he figures it would be a good publicity stunt. After Trainer is killed, Loretta tricks Dash into helping her find the lost city by claiming that she is dying. In the process they become good friends, though Dash is devastated when he learns that Loretta lied, she just wanted to find the city so she could make money and quit writing. However they wind up working together to defeat Trillin, and use the treasure to help a local village. Some time later, Dash has finally published a (bad) sci-fi novel and is very happy.
Offer Ryan Reynolds

[TRILLIN]
Supporting Male (30 - 50)
"A creepy dead-eyed man." An Indonesian thug who kidnaps Loretta because she accidentally stumbled on the location of a mythical lost city during the research for her next novel, and Trillin wants to make sure it doesn't get published until he can get to the treasure first. After she escapes with Dash, he and his men pursue her through the forest and eventually come upon the lost city. After a showdown, Dash and Loretta and a group of local villages scare off his men and subdue him.

[JACK TRAINER]
Supporting Male (30 - 40)
"The human embodiment of bad ass boots and death metal. Mark Wahlberg, but swole. Arms tatted in a four-tour soldier kind of way, likely done with a red hot coat hanger." A former special operative who RALPH hires to rescue Loretta. He successfully breaks her out of prison (with Dash's help), but is killed shortly thereafter.

[RALPH CLARK]
Supporting Male (50 - 60)
"Wealthy, tan, and a great friend when you don't need one." Loretta's publisher, he's trying to resurrect her failing book sales through a series of publicity stunts - which include sending Trainer and Dash to rescue Loretta in Indonesia. Later, he publishes Dash's sci-fi novel (but drops Loretta when she decides to write a more serious memoir).

[RINA]
Supporting Female (20 - 30)
An American-educated young woman from a tribe that lives in the forests of Borneo. She helps Dash and Loretta escape Trillin on multiple occasions.

[RAFI]
Supporting Male (30 - 50)
Trillin's sidekick.

[ALLISON]
Supporting Female (20 - 30)
"Loretta's mousey assistant." She is much abused by her boss, but takes it in stride. Later she goes to work for Dash.

[BANYU]
Supporting Male (20 - 30)
Rina's brother. He has a tendency to prank lost white tourists in the rainforest because he resents them as "imperialists."


UPDATE: Now confirmed via THR:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sandra-bullock-to-star-in-produce-romantic-adventure-the-lost-city-of-d?preview=true&preview_id=4074706