Full Breakdown
Lord & Miller Produce High-Concept Comedy “I Promise We’re Cool” for Universal
6/9/2026, 8:14:44 AM
Core Details of the Upcoming Film
Universal Pictures has greenlit *I Promise We’re Cool*, a high-school comedy with sci-fi elements. Phil Lord and Chris Miller will produce through Lord Miller under a first-look deal, with Erik Baiers supervising.
Background
Lord and Miller, acclaimed for genre-blending hits like *21 Jump Street*, *The Lego Movie*, and 2026’s blockbuster *Project Hail Mary*, are now championing emerging comedy talent.
Key Creative Figures
Actor-writer Charlie Hall, son of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall, will write the screenplay. Hall’s recent credits include *The Sex Lives of College Girls* and Apple+’s *Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed*. Director Max Tzannes, of the Dirty Shot Clean collective, previously directed feature Et Tu and the mockumentary *Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project*. Executive producers are Aditya Sood and Lucy Kitada of Lord Miller; Tzannes, Jacob Souza and David San Miguel will executive produce for Dirty Shot Clean.
Production Structure
The film will be produced under Lord Miller’s first-look agreement with Universal. Erik Baiers will supervise development. Hall is represented by Creative Artists Agency and Untitled Entertainment; Tzannes by United Talent Agency, Anonymous Content and Ziffren Brittenham. Development director Ahkeyah Andrada sourced the project for Lord Miller.
Official Statements & Responses
Universal confirmed the project is ‘set up’ and will allocate resources for script development and pre-production. Lord Miller’s company has not issued additional public comments.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Details of the story remain undisclosed; sources provide only the high-concept premise, with no official synopsis or release schedule.
Why It Matters
The project illustrates Universal’s strategy to diversify its slate with high-concept, genre-blending comedies, leveraging Lord and Miller’s proven track record to elevate early-career creators. Successful execution could open pathways for emerging writers and directors like Hall and Tzannes, while reinforcing the market appeal of hybrid comedy-science-fiction premises.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Phil Lord and Chris Miller have come aboard to produce I Promise We’re Cool, a high concept comedy that was just set up at Universal Pictures.” — The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment News
- “Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the project is described as a high concept high school comedy with a sci-fi twist.” — The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment News
- “The movie caught Hollywood’s attention for its inventive meta take on an indie filmmaker making a found footage movie centered on Bigfoot (think a Christopher Guest mockumentary meets Blair Witch Project).” — The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment News
- “Phil Lord and Chris Miller are adding another comedy to their slate.” — ComingSoon.net, Entertainment News
What’s Next
The project remains in development; no production start date or release window has been announced. Universal and Lord Miller will continue script refinement and casting discussions.
