J.J. Abrams' $500M Warner Bros. deal has first film in supernatural western 'The Pinkerton'

After signing a massive $500M deal with Warner Bros. in September, prolific genre creator J.J. Abrams' company Bad Robot has made its first sale ... and yes, it's a genre film. The company behind multiple entries in the Star Trek, Star Wars, and Mission: Impossible franchises has had a supernatural western script go to the studio — kinda fitting for the production outfit behind Westworld.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Pinkerton (the spec script by Daniel Casey, who did a pass on 10 Cloverfield Lane for Abrams) counts as the first original film Bad Robot has brought to WB since signing its lucrative deal last year. Casey, also known for Kin and the upcoming Fast & Furious 9, penned the "supernatural revenge thriller" around, presumably, a variation on the legendary detective agency that spanned security to strikebreaking over its heyday in American history. And no, this isn't a secret Cowboys & Aliens sequel.

This film, which is just the tip of the original slate's iceberg, is only part of the equation when it comes to Abrams' deal, however. It's been reported that the AAA helmer has been courted to help reimagine the DCEU, with Superman and Green Lantern pitched his way, while Justice League Dark has crawled its way out of development hell to take new pitches for both film and TV adaptations.

While The Pinkerton isn't quite as flashy as anything clad in spandex, the original script is still the first major movie made from the partnership — and the one that's been the most actionable beyond fielding pitches in the development sphere. That makes sense, simply because Abrams' role in large-scale franchises has been to steer massive ships that must have their courses charted by committee. The one-man genre show of a spec script is much easier to push through — as long as it gets a "yes" from the right people.

Warner Bros. VP Peter Dodd will oversee The Pinkerton's development as it enters the theatrical pipeline.