STXSurreal Unveils Development Slate With Ed Helms, Dave Bautista, Peter Berg, Others

STXsurreal, the VR and immersive content division of STX Entertainment just unveiled its new its VR slate which contains several new, original short-form series in development, including a new comedy series from ‘The Office’ star Ed Helms, an untitled Dave Bautista action-comedy, a spinoff of STX’s ‘Mile 22’ film franchise from director Peter Berg, a Jay and Silent Bob project from writer and director Kevin Smith, and a sci-fi thriller from John Wick writer Derek Kolstad.

All of these series will premiere on STX’s Surreal channel which launches as an app on VR headsets later this year.

STXsurreal’s slate of original VR programming will kick-off with the previously announced The Limit, a live-action, short-form VR series from Robert Rodriguez; it will star Michelle Rodriguez. Here are the details of each new project:

New Tricks is an original short-form live-action comedy series from director and producer Ed Helms, written by Frank Lesser (The Colbert Report) which follows an aimless 30 year-old Radio Shack employee who receives a visit from a magical elf one day and learns he is destined to become the world’s greatest wizard. Helms will produce the series with Mike Falbo (Pacific Electric Picture Co.).

An Untitled Dave Bautista Project will be an original short-form action-comedy series. This expands the Bautista relationship as STXfilms is concurrently collaborating with Bautista on an action comedy feature film, which is also in the early stages of development.

The Kiev Exchange is a spinoff of STX’s Mile 22 film franchise. It will be a short-form, live-action series from Mile 22 director Peter Berg, written by Umair Aleem (Extraction, 2017 Blacklist for Kate). The action-thriller follows the CIA’s elusive paramilitary force, Ground Branch, as they negotiate a tense and complex hostage exchange in a public square. When all hell breaks loose they must come together to fight their way out of an ambush. Berg will produce for Film 44 and Film 45, along with Mark Wahlberg, Matt Goldberg and John Logan Pierson.

Also, Jay and Silent Bob is coming back via VR as an original, short-form live-action comedy series from Kevin Smith. Smith will write, direct and produce the series, which stars his longtime collaborator Jason Mewes (Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy) as they revisit fan-favorite characters Jay and Silent Bob. Shot entirely from the perspective of Bob, viewers will embody the silent fanboy himself while alpha-slacker Jay leads the way through a string of idiotic adventures.

Finally, there is an as yet untitled Derek Kolstad Project. Kolstad (The John Wick Trilogy) is the creative force behind this original, live-action, short-form series which will be set in 1947 and follow a mysterious government agent sent to investigate an aircraft crash in rural New Mexico. As he probes deeper, it becomes clear this is no ordinary incident.

Like Bautista, Kolstad also already has a relationship with STXfilms where he is involved in the upcoming action-thriller Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk.