Filmmaker Michael Bay has resurrected his Platinum Dunes banner and found a new home for the storied production company.
The director, known for his Transformers movies and the Bad Boys franchise, has reunited with Brad Fuller, his former producing partner, in bringing Dunes back. The company has signed a first-look deal with Universal, the studio behind his most recent action movie, Ambulance.
“Michael Bay is not only one of the world’s preeminent directors, but together with Brad Fuller, he has established Platinum Dunes as one of the most consistently successful and innovative production companies in the industry,” said Universal Pictures president, Peter Cramer. “We are excited to welcome Michael and Brad to the Universal lot and look forward to building upon their amazing track record at Platinum Dunes for many years to come.”
Bay created Platinum Dunes with Fuller and then-partner Andrew Form in 2001, with the company going on to establish itself a purveyor of slick horror movies such as remakes of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street, as well as franchises The Purge and Ouija, the latter two made for Universal.
It found new levels of success, critical and financial, when it made the John Krasinski-directed A Quiet Place films. The company’s movies have grossed over $2.7 billion at the box office.
Fuller and Form left Dunes in 2018, with Bay going on to form Bay Films. Fuller and Form split in 2020.
Dunes previously had a first-look deal with Paramount and most recently was set up at Sony. Despite the disappointing box office for April’s Ambulance, which starred Jake Gyllenhaal and Yayha Abdul-Mateen II and made $51.3 million worldwide, Universal was happy with the movie and with Bay, and is keen on continuing the good vibes.
“Partnering with Donna [Langely], Peter, Jeff [Shell] and the entire team on Ambulance was a great experience, and I can’t wait to work with them on the exciting projects in the Platinum Dunes pipeline,” said Bay.
“The experience we had with the Universal team on The Purge and Ouija franchises could not have been more collaborative, and we are thrilled to formalize our ongoing partnership with this new agreement,” Fuller added.
