Judd Apatow is set to direct Cola Wars, a Coke vs. Pepsi movie that is also being produced by Steven Spielberg through his Amblin Entertainment banner.
Sony Pictures picked up the project last year for $1 million-plus as a pitch. It will tell the true story of Pepsi’s attempt to challenge Coca-Cola’s century-long reign as the world’s top cola.
This led to the Cola Wars of the mid-1980s, a fierce rivalry between PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company, two of the largest soft drink manufacturers in the world.
The battle intensified when Pepsi launched its aggressive “Pepsi Challenge” marketing campaign in the late 1970s, a blind taste test where participants consistently chose Pepsi over Coca-Cola. This led Pepsi to position itself as the choice of the younger generation, gaining market share and challenging Coke’s dominance.
Coca-Cola responded by launching its ill-fated “New Coke” in 1985, an attempt to reformulate its iconic beverage to better compete with Pepsi’s sweeter flavor. However, the decision was met with public outrage, leading to the rapid reintroduction of the original formula as “Coca-Cola Classic.”
The rivalry extended beyond taste tests and product reformulations, as both companies poured millions into advertising, using celebrity endorsements, catchy slogans, and sponsorships to outshine each other.
Pepsi capitalized on the popularity of stars like Michael Jackson, while Coca-Cola banked on its association with tradition and nostalgia. The Cola Wars also saw each brand innovating with new product lines, such as Diet Coke and Pepsi Free, to cater to shifting consumer preferences.
Coca-Cola retained its dominance in the market in the wake of all this, while Pepsi secured a strong position as a youthful alternative, cementing their ongoing rivalry in pop culture.
The Cola Wars pitch is being written by Jason Shuman and Ben Queen. Shuman is the co-creator/writer of Apple’s Acapulco series and was executive producer on HBO’s Winning Time. He was also the writer of Cars 2 and Cars 3 for Pixar.
The project is in the early development process, so there’s still a way to go, but there’s an interesting and fun story to tell here.
Source: Deadline
