Maximum Effort
American film production company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maximum Effort Productions, Inc.[2] is an American film production company and digital marketing agency founded by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds alongside George Dewey in 2018. The company's name is a reference to a catchphrase from Reynolds' 2016 film Deadpool.[1]
Logo used since 2020 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film, television, advertising |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founder |
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| Headquarters | New York City, U.S.[1] |
Key people |
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| Website | maximumeffort |
History
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Reynolds and Dewey launched Maximum Effort in 2018, after having collaborated on the marketing campaign for the first two Deadpool films.[3][4] They worked on a series of successful low-budget ads to promote the 2016 film and its 2018 sequel, which at the time were the highest-grossing R-rated films ever.[1] Dewey, formerly senior vice president of digital marketing at 20th Century Fox and president of digital marketing at Annapurna Pictures, was named president of the company,[5] and Reynolds is creative director.[6]
Maximum Effort's marketing arm was acquired by advertising software company MNTN in June 2021, with Maximum Effort Marketing keeping its name while operating as an agency within MNTN. Reynolds was named MNTN's chief creative officer, and Dewey MNTN's chief brand officer.[7][8] MNTN was founded in 2009 as Steelhouse, rebranding itself in 2021.[9] In September 2024, Bloomberg News reported that MNTN was planning to go public in 2025, with Morgan Stanley to organize its initial public offering;[10] however, in MNTN's IPO filing (i.e. Form S-1) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which was filed February 28, 2025, MNTN disclosed that it has agreed to divest "its interest in Maximum Effort to an affiliate of its original owner."[11][12] The sale is expected to close on April 1, 2025.[11]
Film and television production
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Maximum Effort was one of the production companies on the 2018 film Deadpool 2, directed by David Leitch and starring Reynolds and Josh Brolin,[5] on 2021's Free Guy, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Reynolds and Jodie Comer,[13] on 2022's The Adam Project, directed by Levy and starring Reynolds, Mark Ruffalo, Jennifer Garner and Walker Scobell,[14] and on 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine, directed by Levy and starring Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand and Garner.[15]
Maximum Effort Productions projects include the musical Spirited, directed by Sean Anders and starring Reynolds and Will Ferrell.[16] The company also produces the FX docuseries Welcome to Wrexham.[17] In May 2021, Maximum Effort Productions closed a three-year first-look development deal with Paramount Pictures for all their feature films.[4] In August 2022, it was announced Maximum Effort would launch a free ad-supported streaming TV channel, which launched in June 2023 on FuboTV and other platforms.[18][19] The first original program on the channel was entitled Bedtime Stories with Ryan and premiered June 20, 2023.[20] In June 2023, it was announced that Maximum Effort had made a deal with Welsh language channel S4C to show six hours of Welsh language programming per week which Reynolds has referred to as "Welsh Wednesdays".[21] The channel shut down in January 2025.[22]
In February 2023, Maximum Effort announced the development of a 1.2 million-square-foot studio to be built in Markham, Ontario, Canada, just outside of Toronto.[23] In March 2025, the company signed a first-look deal with 20th Television.[24]
Marketing
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Maximum Effort Marketing has created ads for Reynolds' brands Aviation Gin and Mint Mobile,[6] films such as Deadpool 2[6] and Free Guy,[25] and for Match.com,[26] R.M. Williams,[27] and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.[1] One of the Aviation Gin spots went viral, as a spoof on a Peloton holiday commercial that had received significant backlash, with both ads starring the same actress, Monica Ruiz.[28][29] A spot for Mint Mobile featured Rick Moranis, in a rare public appearance for the actor,[28] and an advertising stunt for Aviation Gin and Laughing Man Coffee had a faux Twitter war between Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.[6][29] A video for Match.com went viral at the end of 2020, as it featured Satan dating the year 2020 and debuted a snippet of Taylor Swift's "Love Story (Taylor's Version)".[30]
In December 2021, following the release of the Sex and the City revival series And Just Like That..., and the death of Mr. Big on a Peloton bike, shares in Peloton fell. Maximum Effort quickly devised an advertisement for Peloton featuring Chris Noth. Reynolds provided the voiceover promoting the health benefits that cycling can have, and noting that Chris Noth/Mr. Big was still alive.[31]
The company has gained recognition for its ability to produce ads quickly, an approach Reynolds calls "Fastvertising."[32]
Filmography
Film
Short film
| Year | Title | Production partners | Distributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Deadpool and Korg React | — | YouTube |
Television
| Year | Title | Production partners | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Don't | Banijay Studios North America | ABC |
| 2022–present | Welcome to Wrexham | FXP, Boardwalk Pictures, 3 Arts Entertainment, RCG Productions, DN2 Productions | FX |
| 2024 | Neon Dimension[44] | Fubo Studios, Maximum Effort Channel | FuboTV |
| TBA | Biker Mice from Mars[45] | The Nacelle Company, Maximum Effort Channel |
References
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