UFO Conspiracy Thriller From Joseph Kosinski, Jerry Bruckheimer Ignites Bidding War

A movie project reuniting Jerry Bruckheimer and Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski is spurring interest that is out of this world.

A solar system’s worth of companies are vying for the package, that also includes scribe Zach Baylin, the writer whose credits include Will Smith’s King Richard, Creed III, and last year’s Jude Law white supremacist thriller The Order.

Amazon, Apple, Lionsgate, Paramount and Warner Bros. are among the studios in on the action, with sources saying the bidding is escalating “quickly and aggressively.”

Little is known about the piece, which is described as All the President’s Men with UFOs. The budget range is unclear but it is seeking a greenlight, per one source. No stars are currently attached.

Part of the appeal is the veneer of authenticity to the pitch. Former United States Air Force officer – and erstwhile UFO whistleblower – David Grusch is said to be acting as a consultant on the project. Grusch made headlines in 2023 when he testified before Congress that the government has been studying the spacecraft and bodies of aliens, all the while suppressing leaks.

The pairing of Kosinski and Bruckheimer has clearly beamed up major success in the past. After enduring a lengthy development process, the duo’s sequel to Bruckheimer’s 1986 smash Top Gun arrived in theaters over Memorial Day weekend in 2022 en route to surpassing $1.4 billion globally and collecting six Oscar nominations, with a win for best sound. The Tom Cruise vehicle helped heat up the careers of co-stars Glen Powell, Miles Teller and current Oscar nominee Monica Barbaro, and it was credited as helping to save the exhibition business coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kosinski’s next film is the Brad Pitt-led racing flick F1 from Apple and Warner Bros. that hits theaters in June and counts Bruckheimer as a producer. Kosinski’s previous features as director include Netflix’s 2022 psychological thriller Spiderhead starring Chris Hemsworth and Teller, in addition to Only the Brave (2017), Oblivion (2013) and Tron: Legacy (2010).

Kosinski is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment. Baylin is repped by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.