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Edgar Wright, Dwayne Johnson, Rian Johnson, Marc Webb, Lin-Manuel Miranda Plot Simon & Garfunkel Movie Universe

Sprawling cinematic universes have done boffo box-office business. “Star Wars,” Marvel comics, DC superheroes, and classic monster tales have all been mined for movie multiplex magic — with awesome auds turning out serious coin for congloms. Now another under-exploited IP may be ready for the silver screen — the song catalog of Simon & Garfunkel.

What began as an apparent joke on Twitter by “Baby Driver” helmer Edgar Wright has turned into an apparent joke on Twitter by Edgar Wright and a bunch of other people. On Friday, Wright tweeted, tagging fellow filmmaker Marc Webb, “I have ‘Baby Driver’ out in June & @MarcW has ‘The Only Living Boy In New York’ in August. Where is the ‘So Long Frank Lloyd Wright’ movie?”

Wright was soon revealed to be just one of many above-the-liners itching to tubthump the hot Simon & Garfunkel idea. Among those looking to lens a piece of a sprawling universe are Rian Johnson (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”), Webb (“The Amazing Spider-Man”), Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton”), and former pro grappler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Johnson tweeted, “I call dibs on Keep the Customer Satisfied,” to which Miranda responded “Dibs on Cecilia.” Webb and Wright then called out Johnson, asking if he would agree to star in an adaptation of “I Am a Rock.” Johnson replied, “if you’re in then I’m in E-Dub!” with the emoji of a hand, thumb up, pinky extended, beside the affirmative message.

Wright later complained of lack of coverage for the burgeoning project in the trade press (namely Variety):

“Baby Driver” is set to bow June 28. Simon & Garfunkel are a folk-rock duo, and wrote several songs for Mike Nichols’ “The Graduate.” It is unclear whether the events of the 1967 Dustin Hoffman starrer will be part of the new Simon & Garfunkel universe canon.

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