# Paramount Animation Shelves Ryan Reynolds' I Eat Poop After Skydance Mergers

> Paramount Animation has dropped Ryan Reynolds' I Eat Poop, directed by Josh Cooley, after Skydance's Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery acquisitions.

- Published: 2026-11-05T20:10:33+00:00
- Section: Divestitures
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-05/paramount-drops-ryan-reynolds-i-eat-poop
- Source: [Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/movies/articles/ryan-reynolds-eat-poop-movie-193904506.html)

## Key takeaways

- Paramount Animation is no longer developing I Eat Poop, based on Mark Pett's children's book, with Josh Cooley attached to direct.
- Ryan Reynolds' Maximum Effort was producing the film and has Animal Friends set for theaters on January 22, 2027.
- Paramount Skydance's $110–111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery consolidated HBO, CNN, CBS News, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros.

Paramount Animation has dropped I Eat Poop, the Ryan Reynolds-produced film based on Mark Pett's children's book, after Skydance's acquisitions of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, [Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/movies/articles/ryan-reynolds-eat-poop-movie-193904506.html) reported on November 5, 2026. The project, with Josh Cooley attached to direct, is no longer in development.

## Paramount Animation Ends the I Eat Poop Project

I Eat Poop: A Dung Beetle Story was being developed by Paramount Animation, with Reynolds' Maximum Effort producing. Cooley, whose credits include Toy Story 4 and Transformers One, was attached to direct. Yahoo cited The Wrap's Drew Taylor for the update.

[Paramount](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000cfy/paramount) is a diversified media and entertainment company operating Paramount+, Pluto TV, CBS, cable networks including MTV and Nickelodeon, and Paramount Pictures. [Paramount Skydance Corporation](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000004g/paramount-skydance-corporation) is the combined company formed after Skydance's acquisitions of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Maximum Effort has other projects in the pipeline. Animal Friends, a live-action animated adventure-comedy featuring Reynolds, Jason Momoa, Aubrey Plaza, Daniel Levy, Vince Vaughn and Addison Rae, arrives in theaters on January 22, 2027. Reynolds also appears in Eloise, a fantasy adventure produced by Maximum Effort and based on Kay Thompson's book series, with Mae Schenk, Sally Hawkins and Victor Garber in the cast. Disney+ began developing Spy School, based on Stuart Gibbs' book series, with Maximum Effort producing under its first-look deal with 20th Television.

## What the Paramount Skydance Records Show

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Paramount Skydance announced a $110–111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery in June 2026, consolidating HBO, CNN, CBS News, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. The same records describe the transaction as one of the biggest media combinations in years. Paramount's film library holds more than 1,000 titles, with rights to an additional 2,800, and its networks reach billions of cumulative subscribers worldwide.

## Earlier Paramount Film and TV Moves

Paramount confirmed development of Sorria 3, with David Bruckner directing and Parker Finn producing, Exame reported in October 2026. The franchise has grossed over $350 million worldwide, with the first two films earning $217 million and $138.1 million respectively. Francis Lawrence said the Red Rising movie had moved to Paramount after eight years at Netflix and that a writer was starting on a script, IGN reported in October 2026. Paramount TV Studios' Reacher ranked No. 1 among September's original streaming series with 4.6 billion minutes viewed, while Neagley and Lioness tied for third with 3.3 billion minutes each, Yahoo reported in October 2026.

## Skydance's Warner Bros. Discovery Deal

Paramount Skydance acquired Warner Bros. Discovery for $31 per share, a deal approved by the U.S. DOJ and the EU, but a California-led antitrust lawsuit blocked it with a temporary restraining order, according to a Wikipedia entry dated October 18, 2026.

## Companies in this story

- [Paramount company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000cfy/paramount) · website: https://www.paramount.com
- [Paramount Skydance Corporation company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/000004g/paramount-skydance-corporation) · website: https://www.paramountgames.com

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