21 Laps, Inc., doing business as 21 Laps Entertainment, is an American film and television production company founded and run by filmmaker Shawn Levy. The company is best known as the producers of Stranger Things, and exclusively distributes content through a partnership with Netflix. It has also produced films like Cheaper by the Dozen, The Spectacular Now, Real Steel, Arrival, and the Night at the Museum franchise, as well as Levy's collaborations with actor and producer Ryan Reynolds, which include Free Guy, The Adam Project and Deadpool & Wolverine. The company's name originates from the number of laps Levy's eldest daughter ran in a jogathon when she was 5 years old. In addition, the logo is supposed to represent a race track.
History In 1999, Shawn Levy, who after his start on television incorporated and founded the company as Wunjo, Inc. It was in-name only from the beginning until 2005. Levy made his breakout role as a film director on Big Fat Liar, Just Married, and Cheaper by the Dozen.
In 2003, Levy, after the success of his aforementioned feature films, launched his own production company with a first-look deal at 20th Century Fox Television. The deal was to produce half-hour sitcoms and hour-long dramas.
In 2005, Levy rebranded the studio to 21 Laps Entertainment and it signed a non-exclusive deal with 20th Century Fox to produce their films. The film division would be run by Tom McNulty, formerly an employee from Happy Madison Productions, and its television division by J.J. Klein. The first two products were Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and Pepper Dennis.
In 2010, Levy and Marty Adelstein signed on to form a television company called 21 Laps/Adelstein Productions, and they signed a deal with 20th Century Fox Television and hired Becky Clements to serve as president.
In 2014, both Levy and Adelstein parted ways, with the latter launching Tomorrow Studios as a joint venture with ITV Studios.
In July 2016, one of the company's television projects, Stranger Things, premiered on Netflix and achieved critical acclaim, earning a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes with 55 out of 58 reviews being positive. The show's first season was also one of Netflix's most watched series, averaging 14.07 million adults 18–49 in its first 35 days. Along with producing the series, Levy directed two of the premiere season's episodes. The third season premiered on July 4, 2019 and the fourth season premiered in two parts on May 27, 2022 and July 1, 2022. It was renewed for a fifth and final season. In 2020, the company signed a first look deal with Netflix.
In January 2026, Netflix announced that the company would be producing a new hockey themed original series starring Michelle Monaghan which received similarities to the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, and was criticized by the families and survivors of the crash who received no notice about the project occurring.
Filmography Films Release date Title Director Distributor Notes October 23, 2001 I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus John Shepphird PAX first film; uncredited; co-production with Regent Entertainment, ACH and Medien Capital Treuhand February 8, 2002 Big Fat LiarShawn Levy Universal Pictures first theatrical film; uncredited; co-production with Tollin/Robbins Productions January 10, 2003 Just Married20th Century Fox uncredited; co-production with The Donners' Company and Robert Simonds Productions December 25, 2003 Cheaper by the Dozen uncredited; co-production with Robert Simonds Productions December 21, 2005 Cheaper by the Dozen 2 Adam Shankman First credited film under the 21 Laps label December 22, 2006 Night at the Museum Shawn Levy co-produced with 1492 Pictures and Dune Entertainment May 9, 2008 What Happens in Vegas Tom Vaughan co-produced with Regency Enterprises, Mosaic Media Group, Dune Entertainment and Penn Station Entertainment August 20, 2008 The Rocker Peter Cattaneo co-produced with Fox Atomic May 22, 2009 Night at the Museum: Battle of the SmithsonianShawn Levy co-produced with 1492 Pictures, Dune Entertainment and Ingenious Film Partners April 9, 2010 Date Night co-produced with Dune Entertainment October 7, 2011 Real Steel Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures co-produced with Touchstone Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and Reliance Entertainment July 27, 2012 The Watch Akiva Schaffer20th Century Fox co-produced with Dune Entertainment June 7, 2013 The Internship Shawn Levy co-produced with Regency Enterprises and Wild West Picture Show Productions August 2, 2013 The Spectacular Now James Ponsoldt A24 co-produced with Andrew Lauren Productions and Global Produce September 19, 2014 This Is Where I Leave You Shawn Levy Warner Bros. Pictures co-produced with Spring Creek Productions October 10, 2014 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Miguel Arteta Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures co-produced with Walt Disney Pictures and The Jim Henson Company December 19, 2014 Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Shawn Levy 20th Century Fox co-produced with 1492 Pictures November 11, 2016 Arrival Denis Villeneuve Paramount Pictures(North America & P.R.China)Stage 6 Films(International)Entertainment One(United Kingdom)Roadshow Films(Australia) co-produced with FilmNation Entertainment and Lava Bear Films December 23, 2016 Why Him? John Hamburg 20th Century Fox co-produced with Red Hour Productions February 17, 2017 Fist Fight Richie Keen Warner Bros. Pictures co-produced with New Line Cinema, Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment and Wrigley Pictures March 3, 2017 Table 19 Jeffrey Blitz Fox Searchlight Pictures co-produced with 3311 Productions April 20, 2018 Kodachrome Mark Raso Netflix co-produced with The Gotham Group and Motion Picture Capital August 3, 2018 The Darkest Minds Jennifer Yuh Nelson 20th Century Fox August 31, 2018 Kin Jonathan Baker and Josh Baker Lionsgate co-produced with Summit Entertainment and No Trace Camping October 16, 2020 Love and Monsters Michael Matthews Paramount Pictures(North America)Netflix(International) co-produced with Entertainment One February 19, 2021 The Violent Heart Kerem Sanga Gravitas Ventures co-produced with Material Pictures and 3311 Productions August 13, 2021 Free Guy Shawn Levy 20th Century Studiosco-produced with Maximum Effort, Berlanti Productions and Lit Entertainment Group October 6, 2021 There's Someone Inside Your House Patrick BriceNetflix co-produced with Atomic Monster March 11, 2022 The Adam Project Shawn Levy co-produced with Maximum Effort and Skydance Media October 14, 2022 Rosaline Karen Maine Hulu(United States)Disney+(International, via Star)Star+(Latin America) co-produced with 20th Century Studios December 9, 2022 Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again Matt Danner Disney+ co-produced with Walt Disney Pictures, Atomic Cartoons and Alibaba Pictures May 12, 2023 Crater Kyle Patrick Alvarez co-produced with Walt Disney Pictures June 2, 2023 The Boogeyman Rob Savage 20th Century Studios co-produced with NeoReel July 26, 2024 Deadpool & Wolverine Shawn Levy Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures co-produced with Marvel Studios and Maximum Effort September 20, 2024 Never Let Go Alexandre Aja Lionsgate Films co-produced with HalleHolly and Media Capital Technologies March 28, 2025 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip Marvin Lemus Disney+ co-produced with Walt Disney Pictures and The Jim Henson Company May 29, 2026 Backrooms Kane Parsons A24 co-produced with North Road Films, Atomic Monster, Phobos and Oddfellows PicturesUpcoming May 21, 2027 The Catch Dave McCary Universal Pictures co-produced with Fruit Tree May 28, 2027 Star Wars: Starfighter Shawn Levy Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures co-produced with Lucasfilm November 12, 2027 Seasons Drew Hancock Amazon MGM Studios co-produced with Blumhouse Productions, Atomic Monster and 12:01 Films TBA Abbi and the Eighth Wonder Clea DuVall Sony Pictures Releasing co-produced with TriStar Pictures Be More Chill TBA 20th Century Studios co-produced with 5000 Broadway Productions and Berlanti Productions Boy Band Shawn Levy Paramount Pictures co-produced with Maximum Effort Club 33 TBA Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures co-produced with Walt Disney Pictures Consume David Gelb Searchlight Pictures co-produced with Supper Club Dad Camp TBA Netflix co-produced with Happy Madison Productions Deep End co-produced with Unwell Productions Kingmakers co-produced with Story Kitchen and TinyBuild One Attempt Remaining Kay Cannon Riders of Justice Michael SchwartzTyler Nilson Lionsgate Films Sabine TBA Sony Pictures Releasing co-produced with Screen Gems Seismic Netflix co-produced with Lit Entertainment Group Untitled Free Guy sequel 20th Century Studios co-produced with Maximum Effort, Berlanti Productions and Lit Entertainment Group The Blanks Netflix co-produced with Aperture Entertainment Untitled international heist film Shawn Levy co-produced with Maximum Effort and Genre Films Somewhere Out There Shawn Levy The Girlfriend Natalie Morales TBA co-produced with XYZ Films, BuzzFeed Studios, Zoe Knife Productions and Persons Unknown Blur Kirill Sokolov Netflix
Television Year Title Creator(s) Network Notes 2006 Pepper Dennis Gretchen J. BergAaron Harberts The WB co-produced with 20th Century Fox Television and Two Presbyterians Productions 2011–20172018–2021 Last Man Standing Jack Burditt ABCFox Credited as 21 Laps-Adelstein Productionsco-produced with 20th Century Fox Television, Double Wide Productions, NestEgg Productions, Mr. Big Shot Fancy-Pants Productions and Lyonsberry Productions 2014–2015 Cristela Cristela Alonzo<br/ >Kevin Hench ABC Credited as 21 Laps-Adelstein Productionsco-produced with 20th Century Fox Television and Hench in the Trench Productions 2016–2025 Stranger Things The Duffer Brothers Netflix co-produced with Monkey Massacre Productions and Upside Down Pictures 2017 Imaginary Mary Adam F. GoldbergDavid GuarascioPatrick Osborne ABC uncredited; co-produced with Sony Pictures Television, ABC Studios, Happy Madison Productions, Adam F. Goldberg Productions and David Guarascio Productions 2020 I Am Not Okay with This Jonathan EntwistleChristy Hall Netflix co-produced with Ceremony Pictures and Raindrop Valley 2020–present Unsolved Mysteries John CosgroveTerry Dunn Meurer co-produced with Cosgrove-Meurer Productions 2020 Dash & Lily Joe Tracz co-produced with Boy Detective Inc. and Image 32 2021–2023 Shadow and Bone Eric Heisserer co-produced with Chronology and Loom Studios 2022Lost Ollie Shannon Tindle co-produced with Fufufufu Productions 2023 All the Light We Cannot See Steven Knight co-produced with Nebula Star 2024 The Perfect Couple Jenna Lamia co-produced with Blossom Films, Pathless Woods Productions Inc., Two–Four Two–Four Go and The Jackal Group 2026–present Stranger Things: Tales from '85 Eric RoblesJennifer Muro co-produced with Netflix Animation Studios, Upside Down Pictures and Flying Bark ProductionsUpcoming TBA Real Steel TBA Disney+ co-produced with Compari Entertainment, Angry Films, DreamWorks SKG, and 20th Television TBA Untitled hockey drama series Nick Naveda Netflix TBA Persona Christopher Monfette co-produced with Story Kitchen and Sega
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