21 Laps Entertainment
21 Laps, Inc.,[2] doing business as 21 Laps Entertainment, is a film and television production company founded and run by filmmaker Shawn Levy.[3] The company is best known as the producers of Stranger Things, and exclusively distributes content through a partnership with Netflix.[4] It has also produced films like Arrival, Free Guy, The Adam Project, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Spectacular Now, Real Steel, Deadpool & Wolverine, and the Night at the Museum franchise. The companies' name originates from the number of laps Levy's oldest daughter ran in a jogathon when she was 5 years old.[5]
![]() Logo used since 2014 | |
21 Laps Entertainment | |
Formerly | Wunjo, Inc. (1999–2005) |
Industry | Film Television |
Founded | January 29, 1999 (as Wunjo, Inc.) 2005 (as 21 Laps Entertainment)[1] |
Founder | Shawn Levy |
Headquarters | 888 Seventh Avenue, New York City, New York 10106 , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Shawn Levy (CEO) Dan Levine (Partner) Dan Cohen (Partner) |
Products | Motion pictures, television programs |
History
In 1999, Shawn Levy, who after his start on television incorporated and founded the company as Wunjo, Inc. It was in-name only from the beginning until 2005. Levy made his breakout role as a film director on Big Fat Liar, Just Married, and Cheaper by the Dozen.
In 2003, Levy, after the success of his aforementioned feature films, launched his own production company with a first-look deal at 20th Century Fox Television. The deal was to produce half-hour sitcoms and hour-long dramas.[6]
In 2005, Levy rebranded the studio to 21 Laps Entertainment and it signed a non-exclusive deal with 20th Century Fox to produce their films. The film division would be run by Tom McNulty, formerly employee from Happy Madison Productions, and its television division by J.J. Klein. The first two products were Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and Pepper Dennis.[7]
In 2010, Levy and Marty Adelstein signed on to form a television company called 21 Laps/Adelstein Productions, and they signed a deal with 20th Century Fox Television and hired Becky Clements to serve as president.[8]
In 2014, both Levy and Adelstein parted ways, with the latter launching Tomorrow Studios as a joint venture with ITV Studios.[9]
In July 2016, one of the company's television projects, Stranger Things, premiered on Netflix and achieved critical acclaim, earning a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes with 55 out of 58 reviews being positive.[10] The show's first season was also one of Netflix's most watched series, averaging 14.07 million adults 18–49 in its first 35 days.[11] Along with producing the series, Levy directed two of the premiere season's episodes.[12] The third season premiered on July 4, 2019[13] and the fourth season premiered in two parts on May 27, 2022 and July 1, 2022. It was renewed for a fifth and final season.[14] In 2020, the company signed a first look deal with Netflix.[15]
Filmography
Films
Release date | Title | Director | Distributor | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
October 23, 2001 | I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus | John Shepphird | PAX | first film; uncredited; co-production with Regent Entertainment, ACH and Medien Capital Treuhand |
February 8, 2002 | Big Fat Liar | Shawn Levy | Universal Pictures | first theatrical film; uncredited; co-production with Tollin/Robbins Productions |
January 10, 2003 | Just Married | 20th Century Fox | uncredited; co-production with The Donners' Company and Robert Simonds Productions | |
December 25, 2003 | Cheaper by the Dozen | uncredited; co-production with Robert Simonds Productions | ||
December 21, 2005 | Cheaper by the Dozen 2 | Adam Shankman |
First credited film under the 21 Laps label | |
December 22, 2006 | Night at the Museum | Shawn Levy | co-produced with 1492 Pictures and Dune Entertainment | |
May 9, 2008 | What Happens in Vegas | Tom Vaughan | co-produced with Regency Enterprises, Mosaic Media Group, Dune Entertainment and Penn Station Entertainment | |
August 20, 2008 | The Rocker | Peter Cattaneo | co-produced with Fox Atomic | |
May 22, 2009 | Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian | Shawn Levy | co-produced with 1492 Pictures, Dune Entertainment and Ingenious Film Partners | |
April 9, 2010 | Date Night | co-produced with Dune Entertainment | ||
October 7, 2011 | Real Steel | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | co-produced with Touchstone Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, ImageMovers and Reliance Entertainment | |
July 27, 2012 | The Watch | Akiva Schaffer | 20th Century Fox | |
June 7, 2013 | The Internship | Shawn Levy | co-produced with Regency Enterprises, Wild West Picture Show Productions and TSG Entertainment | |
August 2, 2013 | The Spectacular Now | James Ponsoldt | A24 | co-produced with Andrew Lauren Productions and Global Produce |
September 19, 2014 | This Is Where I Leave You | Shawn Levy | Warner Bros. Pictures | co-produced with Warner Bros. Pictures and Spring Creek Productions |
October 10, 2014 | Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | Miguel Arteta | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | co-produced with Walt Disney Pictures and The Jim Henson Company |
December 19, 2014 | Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb | Shawn Levy | 20th Century Fox | co-produced with 1492 Pictures and TSG Entertainment |
November 11, 2016 | Arrival[16] | Denis Villeneuve | Paramount Pictures (North America) Stage 6 Films (International) Entertainment One (United Kingdom) Roadshow Films (Australia) |
co-produced with FilmNation Entertainment and Lava Bear Films |
December 23, 2016 | Why Him? | John Hamburg | 20th Century Fox | co-produced with Red Hour Productions and TSG Entertainment |
February 17, 2017 | Fist Fight[16] | Richie Keen | Warner Bros. Pictures | co-produced with New Line Cinema, Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment and Wrigley Pictures |
March 3, 2017 | Table 19 | Jeffrey Blitz | Fox Searchlight Pictures | co-produced with 3311 Productions |
April 20, 2018 | Kodachrome | Mark Raso | Netflix | co-produced with The Gotham Group and Motion Picture Capital |
August 3, 2018 | The Darkest Minds | Jennifer Yuh Nelson | 20th Century Fox | |
August 31, 2018 | Kin | Jonathan Baker and Josh Baker | Lionsgate | co-produced with Summit Entertainment and No Trace Camping |
October 16, 2020 | Love and Monsters | Michael Matthews | Paramount Pictures (North America) Netflix (International) |
co-produced with Entertainment One |
February 19, 2021 | The Violent Heart | Kerem Sanga | Gravitas Ventures | co-produced with Material Pictures and 3311 Productions |
August 13, 2021 | Free Guy | Shawn Levy | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | co-produced with 20th Century Studios, Maximum Effort, Berlanti Productions, TSG Entertainment, Lit Entertainment Group |
October 6, 2021 | There's Someone Inside Your House[17] | Patrick Brice | Netflix | co-produced with Atomic Monster |
March 11, 2022 | The Adam Project | Shawn Levy | co-produced with Maximum Effort and Skydance Media | |
October 14, 2022 | Rosaline | Karen Maine | Hulu (United States) Disney+ (International, via Star) Star+ (Latin America) |
co-produced with 20th Century Studios |
December 9, 2022 | Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again | Matt Danner | Disney+ | co-produced with Walt Disney Pictures, Atomic Cartoons and Alibaba Pictures |
May 12, 2023 | Crater | Kyle Patrick Alvarez | co-produced with Walt Disney Pictures | |
June 2, 2023 | The Boogeyman | Rob Savage | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | co-produced with 20th Century Studios and NeoReel |
Upcoming | ||||
July 26, 2024 | Deadpool & Wolverine | Shawn Levy | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | co-produced with Marvel Studios and Maximum Effort |
September 27, 2024 | Never Let Go | Alexandre Aja | Lionsgate Films | |
TBA | Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip | Marvin Lemus | Disney+ | co-produced with Walt Disney Pictures and The Jim Henson Company |
Be More Chill | TBA | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | co-produced with 20th Century Studios, 5000 Broadway Productions and Berlanti Productions | |
Boy Band | Paramount Pictures | co-produced with Maximum Effort | ||
Consume | David Gelb | Searchlight Pictures | co-produced with Supper Club[18] | |
Sabine | TBA | Sony Pictures Releasing | co-produced with Screen Gems[19] | |
Seismic[20] | Netflix | co-produced with Lit Entertainment Group | ||
Untitled Free Guy sequel | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | co-produced with 20th Century Studios, Maximum Effort, Berlanti Productions and Lit Entertainment Group | ||
Untitled Sesame Street film | Jonathan Krisel | Warner Bros. Pictures | co-produced with Marc Platt Productions,[21] Entertainment 360,[22] and Sesame Workshop | |
Untitled The Backrooms film[23] | Kane Parsons | A24 | co-produced with A24, Chernin Entertainment, and Atomic Monster | |
Television
Year | Title | Creator(s) | Network | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | Pepper Dennis | Gretchen J. Berg Aaron Harberts |
The WB | co-produced with 20th Century Fox Television and Two Presbyterians Productions |
2011–2017 2018–2021 |
Last Man Standing | Jack Burditt | ABC Fox |
Credited as 21 Laps-Adelstein Productions co-produced with 20th Century Fox Television, Double Wide Productions, NestEgg Productions, Mr. Big Shot Fancy-Pants Productions and Lyonsberry Productions |
2014–2015 | Cristela | Cristela Alonzo Kevin Hench |
ABC | Credited as 21 Laps-Adelstein Productions co-produced with 20th Century Fox Television and Hench in the Trench Productions |
2016–present | Stranger Things | The Duffer Brothers | Netflix | co-produced with Monkey Massacre Productions |
2017 | Imaginary Mary | Adam F. Goldberg David Guarascio Patrick Osborne |
ABC | uncredited; co-produced with Sony Pictures Television, ABC Studios, Happy Madison Productions, Adam F. Goldberg Productions and David Guarascio Productions |
2020 | I Am Not Okay with This | Jonathan Entwistle Christy Hall |
Netflix | co-produced with Ceremony Pictures and Raindrop Valley |
2020–present | Unsolved Mysteries | John Cosgrove Terry Dunn Meurer |
co-produced with Cosgrove-Meurer Productions | |
2020 | Dash & Lily | Joe Tracz | co-produced with Boy Detective Inc. and Image 32 | |
2021–2023 | Shadow and Bone | Eric Heisserer | co-produced with Chronology and Loom Studios | |
2022 | Lost Ollie | Shannon Tindle | co-produced with Fufufufu Productions | |
2023 | All the Light We Cannot See | Steven Knight | co-produced with Nebula Star | |
Upcoming | ||||
TBA | Real Steel | TBA | Disney+ | co-produced with Compari Entertainment, Angry Films, DreamWorks SKG, and 20th Television |
References
- "Fox Animation Acquires Film Rights to Sanrio's Mr. Men Little Miss Properties". Business Wire. January 27, 2015.
- "21 LAPS, INC". OpenCorporates. Retrieved May 5, 2024.
- Breznican, Anthony. "Shawn Levy to produce 'Man Made' book about toughened-up dad". EW.com.
- "'Stranger Things' Producer Inks Massive Overall Deal With Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. December 6, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
- Shawn Levy (March 19, 2018). The Story Behind The Name '21 Laps Entertainment'. Producer's Guild of America.
- Adalian, Josef (November 14, 2003). "Twentieth TV takes up with 'Married' man". Variety. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- Fleming, Michael (October 7, 2005). "Levy homes in on Fox". Variety. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- Andreeva, Nellie (June 18, 2010). "Shawn Levy And Marty Adelstein Form TV Company, Sign With 20th Century Fox TV And Tap Becky Clements As Prez". Deadline. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- Andreeva, Nellie (June 4, 2014). "Marty Adelstein Sets Joint Venture With ITV Studios US To Launch Tomorrow ITV Studios". Deadline. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- "Stranger Things - Season 1 Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes.
- Holloway, Daniel (August 25, 2016). "'Stranger Things' Ratings: Where Series Ranks Among Netflix's Most Watched". Variety.com.
- Guerrasio, Jason. "How the man behind Netflix hit 'Stranger Things' is taking over Hollywood". Business Insider.
- Wigler, Josh (December 31, 2018). "Netflix Reveals 'Stranger Things' Season 3 Premiere Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
- Goldberg, Lesley (September 30, 2019). "'Stranger Things' Renewed for Season 4 as Creators Ink Nine-Figure Netflix Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
- McNary, Dave (November 19, 2020). "'Stranger Things' Producer Shawn Levy Signs First-Look Feature Deal With Netflix, Expands TV Pact". Variety. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
- Barnes, Brooks (November 25, 2016). "A Filmmaker's Belief in Himself Pays Off". New York Times. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
- Squires, John (August 23, 2021). "'Creep' Director Patrick Brice's New Movie 'There's Someone Inside Your House' Crashes Netflix in October". BloodyDisgusting. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- Kit, Borys (November 4, 2019). "'Jiro Dreams of Sushi' Filmmaker Sets Thriller 'Consume' With 21 Laps, Fox Searchlight (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- D’Alessandro, Anthony (July 8, 2020). "Screen Gems Picks Up Female Thriller Spec 'Sabine' For 21 Laps". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 13, 2023). "Netflix Picks Up 'Seismic' From 'Mortal Kombat's Greg Russo; Shawn Levy's 21 Laps Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
- Galuppo, Mia (December 5, 2018). "Anne Hathaway Eyes Starring Role in 'Sesame Street' Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
- Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 15, 2016). "Can You Spell David Guion & Michael Handelman? They Are Writing 'Sesame Street' Film For Warner Bros". Deadline Hollywood.
- Grobar, Matt (February 6, 2023). "'The Backrooms' Horror Film Based On Viral Shorts By 17-Year-Old Kane Parsons In Works At A24, Atomic Monster, Chernin & 21 Laps". Deadline. Retrieved February 23, 2024.