Shawn Levy Enters Disney Overall Deal After Nearly a Decade at Netflix

Shawn Levy is heading home. The “Stranger Things” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” producer-director has signed a multi-year overall television deal with Disney’s 20th Television, ending a nearly decade-long tenure at Netflix and reuniting his production banner, 21 Laps Entertainment, with a studio he’s quietly worked alongside on the film side for years.

The Deal

Levy and 21 Laps have signed a significant overall deal with 20th Television, a division of Disney Television Studios, under which they will develop and produce series across Disney Entertainment’s global portfolio of platforms and brands. The agreement kicks in October 2027, once Levy’s existing Netflix arrangement expires. According to reports, the move came out of a genuinely competitive situation, with Netflix attempting to retain Levy before Disney ultimately won out.

Deal Snapshot

What Levy and Disney Said

Disney President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden praised Levy’s rare ability to tell stories that are both wildly entertaining and deeply human, noting it’s something he’s brought to Disney across two decades of collaboration. Disney Entertainment Television chairman Debra OConnell added that alongside his remarkable film work, Levy has also been one of the most prolific television producers of the past decade.

For his part, Levy described returning to Disney as feeling like home, recalling that he began his career directing and producing television episodes for Disney Channel long before he ever directed movies, and said he’s always felt a kindred creative spirit with the studio’s storytelling ethos. He also expressed gratitude toward his Netflix collaborators, including Ted Sarandos, Bela Bajaria, and Jinny Howe, and confirmed he’ll continue working with the Duffer Brothers on the “Stranger Things” universe, which remains at Netflix.

A Long History With Disney

Levy’s relationship with Disney stretches back to the very start of his career, when he directed episodes of the Disney Channel series “The Famous Jett Jackson.” He went on to direct 20th Century titles including “Cheaper by the Dozen” (2003) and the first three “Night at the Museum” films (2006–2014), before delivering a major theatrical hit for the studio more recently with 2024’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.” His pipeline of upcoming Disney projects is already substantial, including Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: Starfighter” and Marvel’s “Ghost Rider,” both reuniting him with Ryan Gosling.

The Netflix Era Ends

Levy first signed his overall television deal with Netflix in 2017, a year after “Stranger Things” debuted, later extending the agreement in 2020 to include a first-look arrangement for features — a deal reported at the time to be valued in the nine-figure range. His exit follows a similar high-profile departure from Netflix by “Stranger Things” creators Matt and Ross Duffer, who left earlier this year for an overall deal at Paramount Skydance.

Why It Matters

The signing continues a pattern of 20th Television aggressively poaching top talent from rival studios in recent months, having also signed “Abbott Elementary” creator Quinta Brunson away from Warner Bros. With Levy already delivering billion-dollar box office success for Disney on the film side, formalizing his television relationship represents a significant, calculated bet by the studio on one of Hollywood’s most consistently successful producer-directors.

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