Universal Pictures has officially landed the rights toacclaimed novelist Julianna Baggott’s short storyThe Hider, with plans to tapOppenheimerstarRobert Downey Jr.for the lead role. Although details so far are minimal, given that the project is still in early development, Downey Jr. is also slated to produce alongside Susan Downey and Amanda Burnell through their production company, Team Downey.
The potential collaboration was revealed byDeadlineonly months after Downey Jr. took home an Oscar for his supporting role in Universal and Christopher Nolan’s box office hitOppenheimer. Now, the studio is looking to work with Downey Jr. once again on an adaptation ofThe Hider, with a script penned by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari, both of whom are known for their work on other theatrical successes likeTransformers OneandAnt-Man and the Wasp. Although Downey Jr. has not yet been confirmed as an actor in the upcoming project, he will serve as a producer through Team Downey, with additional producers Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold through Safehouse Pictures. The original author ofThe Hider, Julianna Baggott, is currently credited as an executive producer.
Julianna Baggottis a bestselling adult author who has produced novels, short stories, essays, and poetry over the course of three decades. Her work is no stranger to the big screen — the rights to her short storyBackwardswere sold to Netflix in 2022, while two other short stories have been scooped up by Paramount. While Universal Pictures is reluctant to share the plot details of their adaptation ofThe Hider, it’s safe to say that the project will be something to look forward to, especially with Downey Jr. at the helm.
Breaking Out of the MCU Mold
Arguably the face of the MCU, given that he starred in the very first Marvel movie, Downey Jr. has finally shed his superhero skin -though he’ll reappear in the MCU with the mask of a supervillainsometime in the near future. Still, Downey Jr.’s projects since hisIron Mandays have undeniably demonstrated his range as an actor and artist, withThe Hidershaping up to be yet another example. Downey Jr.’s Oscar-winning performance inOppenheimer, for instance, seemed to officially break him out of the MCU mold once and for all,giving him an opportunity to showcase a more understated flair in Nolan’s serious historical drama.
However, one role that seemed to slide under the radar, despite demonstrating yet another side to Downey Jr.’s acting prowess,was his performance in HBO’s limited seriesThe Sympathizer. An adaptation of the Viet Thanh Nguyen novel by the same name — which also demonstrates Downey Jr.’s comfortability with book-to-big-screen projects — Downey Jr. played four different characters in the black comedy spy thriller. Although Amanda Burnell of Team Downey, who is also in the production ofThe Hider, noted that Downey Jr. was taking a creative risk by tackling four different roles in one show, she shared that Downey Jr. was more than up for the challenge.
