New Movie From Tripper Clancy, 21 Laps, 20th In Works

EXCLUSIVE: After turning Night at the Museum into one of the most successful family film franchises of the 21st century, 21 Laps has enlisted Tripper Clancy to write a reimagining for 20th Century Studios, sources tell Deadline.

While specifics as to the plot are under wraps, the film is said to be a new story set at the museum with all-new characters. Shawn Levy and Dan Levine will produce for 21 Laps, with Emily Morris overseeing the project for the company.

A frequent collaborator of 21 Laps, Clancy is currently working with the company on an adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for Netflix, where he’ll serve as co-executive producer. He’s also worked with Netflix and 21 Laps as co-EP of the series I Am Not Okay With This, as well as in developing Bolivar, a hybrid TV series based on the beloved children’s book with Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon.

Originating back when 20th Century Studios was 20th Century Fox, the Night at the Museum franchise adapts the 1993 children’s book by Milan Trenc, where a night watchman at a natural history museum sees his job descend into chaos when exhibits come to life after dark. 21 Laps’ Levy directed and Ben Stiller led three films, each of which was a hit at the global box office: 2006’s Night at the Museum (~$574M WW), 2009’s Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (~$413M WW), and 2014’s Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (~$363M WW). Levy also produced each installment. Supporting cast over the course of the trilogy included Robin Williams, Owen Wilson,  Steve Coogan, Amy Adams, Hank Azaria, Dan Stevens, and Rebel Wilson.

Following Disney’s acquisition of Fox in 2019, the studio moved to further expand the franchise with Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again, an animated feature produced by Levy for Disney+, which premiered in 2022.

A WGA Award winner, Clancy is best known for writing each installment in the Die Hart franchise, starring Kevin Hart, for Roku and Amazon. To date, he’s also co-created a Varsity Blues reboot for Quibi, developed the novel The Art of Fielding with Mike Tollin as a miniseries for Netflix, written for Pixar, and penned the buddy action comedy Stuber on spec, selling it to Fox with Goldstein & Daley producing as well as Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista starring. He is represented by Verve, Kaplan/Perrone, and Gregg Gellman at Morris Yorn.

Coming off a record-breaking 2024 with Deadpool & Wolverine, which became the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history with a worldwide gross exceeding $1.3 billion, 21 Laps’ upcoming slate includes the fifth and final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, which premieres later this year. Most recently, the company has announced feature adaptations of Grady Hendrix’s short story “The Blanks” and Freida McFadden’s psychological thriller Never Lie for Netflix, as well as a Madonna limited series for the same streamer, where 21 Laps has a long-term deal. They named Robert Atwood Head of Television in April. As a director, Levy’s next project is Star Wars: Starfighter, starring Ryan Gosling, which he’s also producing. Pic goes into production this fall and will be released theatrically on May 28, 2027.

Levy and his 21 Laps are repped by WME, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole, and Ziffren Brittenham.