EXCLUSIVE: Rashad Raisani is extending his relationship with 20th Television, signing a new multi-year overall deal at the Disney TV Studios division which has been his home for the past five years.
13.05.2022 - 22:15 / deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: Amber Ruffin and her writing/producing partner Jenny Hagel are expanding their relationship with NBCUniversal.
The pair, who are behind Peacock’s late-night variety series The Amber Ruffin Show, have struck an overall deal with Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.
The duo, who also write on Late Night with Seth Meyers, will develop and produce series for the studio.
They are also launching their own production company – Straight To Cards. They have hired Justin McGriff, who is a producer on The Amber Ruffin show, as a creative executive for the company. He has been tasked to “make cool shit, with nice people”. The company is also looking to expand the team with an LA-based development executive.
Ruffin and Hagel met years ago at a short-lived Second City outpost in Denver, where they performed in a show called How I Lost My Denvirginity (“it was heralded as the show that sunk Second City Denver”). After a few years away, they reconnected on Late Night with Seth Meyers, where they have become integral members of the NBC show.
Ruffin told Deadline recently that she has a number of projects in the works, including Aunties, which comes from The Amber Ruffin Show writer Shantira Jackson. The project, which Ruffin is exec producing alongside Seth Meyers and Mike Shoemaker, tells the story of what happens when a young woman goes back home and helps raise the women who raised her. It landed a put pilot commitment from NBC last November.
“I’m frigging thrilled to partner with Universal Television to work on my favorite projects with my bestest friend,” Amber Ruffin.
Hagel added, “Straight to Cards is such an exciting opportunity to create new shows that highlight points of view that are
EXCLUSIVE: Rashad Raisani is extending his relationship with 20th Television, signing a new multi-year overall deal at the Disney TV Studios division which has been his home for the past five years.
J.J. Abrams’ ambitious HBO sci-fi drama series Demimonde has hit a major roadblock in its long journey to the screen. The issues, related to the show’s price, come amid talk of a potential reevaluation of the massive deal J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot has at Warner Bros. for film, TV, gaming and digital content as the new Warner Bros. Discovery is scrutinizing every aspect of the assets they took over.
Selome Hailu There’s a quote from the 13th century Persian poet Rumi that sticks with Dakota Johnson as she navigates the early years of running her production company: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”When asked what kinds of films TeaTime Pictures is looking to produce, it’s Rumi that Johnson returns to: “There’s no credo. There’s no mandate.
Angelique Jackson Prolific producer Debra Martin Chase has re-upped her multi-year first-look deal with Universal Television.The news comes as the two parties celebrate continued success for “The Equalizer,” starring Queen Latifah, which was renewed for a third and fourth season earlier this month.“I’m thrilled that this partnership with Debra continues to thrive to this day,” stated Universal Television president Erin Underhill. “It has been phenomenal to work with Debra and her team on ‘The Equalizer.’ She is a true inspiration, pioneer and friend.”With the extension, Chase will develop and produce new projects for network, cable and streaming services under her Martin Chase Productions banner.
A few years ago, as filmmaker Roger Ross Williams contemplated founding his own production company, he experienced a Field of Dreams kind of vision: “If you build it, they will come.”
William Earl Variety and Sony Pictures Television return with their month-long immersive experience, the Variety / Sony Pictures Television Virtual FYC House, aimed to capture the attention of TV awards voters. The interactive, 3D experience kicks off with a special preview night for a select audience and then will open to a wider audience on June 2 through June 27.The virtual event features original content, keynote conversations and panels with top contending talent from the studio.
Miley Cyrus is sharing scary details about the moment her plane was struck by lightning back in March while she and her band traveled to a music festival in Paraguay.
Miley Cyrus is telling the whole story of her scary plane ride.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook) has entered into a first-look production agreement with Universal Pictures, which will see him produce three features for the studio alongside Anonymous Content.
Mark Schilling Japan CorrespondentJapan’s Tokyo Broadcasting System network is partnering with Naver Webtoon, South Korea’s leading digital comics platform, and Tokyo-based manga production house Shine Partners to launch a new webtoon company. Called Studio TooN and based in South Korea, the joint venture will plan and make webtoons with Japanese and Korean creators for the global market. One of TBS’s aim in launching the company, its first such venture in Korea, is to produce TV dramas, anime and other content from the webtoons. Studio TooN will begin operations in June of this year with Shine Partners president Keita Iwamoto serving as CEO. “When webtoon works are visualized, there is a synergy effect as the number of readers increases,” said Naver Webtoon CEO Kim Junkoo.
EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-nominated filmmakers Alex Fumero and Kareem Tabsch are partnering to form the production company Trojan Horse. The company will be based in Los Angeles and Miami.
EXCLUSIVE: Erik Oleson, showrunner of the second season of Amazon’s Carnival Row, is launching his own production company.
Channel 4 Puts 1,000 Hours Of Shows On YouTube: British broadcaster Channel 4 has signed a deal with YouTube to put 1,000 hours of programming on the Google-owned streaming platform. The agreement expands on an existing partnership between the companies and will allow Channel 4 to sell its own advertising around the show — a first-of-its-kind deal in the UK and Europe. Shows will begin rolling out this month and include 8 Out Of 10 Cats; Location, Location, Location; Nikki Grahame: Who Is She?, SAS: Who Dares Wins and The Dog House. Selected titles will be made available 30 days after their first broadcast on Channel 4 or younger sibling network E4. Channel 4 has been following a five-year ‘Future 4’ strategy to supercharge digital revenues, and its management believes today’s deal represents a “major step” in that process.
The company that produced the ill-fated Rust movie is contesting the findings of the New Mexico Occupational Health and Safety Bureau, which last month fined the company $136,793 for its “willful and serious” violation of workplace safety procedures. The fine, which is the maximum allowable by law, follows the Bureau’s six-month investigation into the circumstances leading up to the accidental shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on October 21.
EXCLUSIVE: Alec Baldwin has partnered with veteran actor and producer Anjul Nigam (Grey’s Anatomy) to form film and TV production company Persona Entertainment, whose first project will be on sale at the upcoming Cannes market.
EXCLUSIVE: After recently wrapping production on the Pet Sematary origin pic, Paramount is looking to stay in business with writer-director Lindsey Beer as the the multi-hyphenate has entered into a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures to produce, write, and direct feature projects. Beer is already developing several projects under the deal, with several films being kept under wraps. One that isn’t being kept secret is Susie Thunder, which after the studio won a ten-party bidding war, Beer has boarded the movie to develop with Beer producing alongside Epic Magazine’s Arthur Spector, Josh Davis and Josh Bearman. The project is based on the true story of Susan Thunder, one of the first and most infamous hackers in the 1980s.
While this week’s local elections in the UK have led to increased speculation about the future of Ireland’s borders, the region’s animation industry has come together to increase opportunities for creativity and collaboration.
Wilson Chapman editorRapper Jon Park, better known by his stage name Dumbfoundead, has launched new production company Big Dummie.Big Dummie Productions was created in association with global music and entertainment company Transparent Arts. The company will focus on producing projects from and starring Asian American artists, and shares its name with a Peacock comedy series about Park’s life, which has been in development since 2020.“The name ‘Big Dummie’ was inspired by my journey as a young creator thrown into an unfamiliar industry and learning by swimming with the sharks,” Park said in a statement.
EXCLUSIVE: Dan Baime, an ICM Partners agent of 25 years, partner and co-head of the Production Department, is leaving the agency business to segue to management. He is launching his own management firm, Intenta Management, with his long-time client John Cena as Intenta’s first client. ICM agent and partner Lara Sackett has been elevated to assume Baime’s role as co-head of the Production Department alongside fellow co-heads Paul Hook, a longtime fixture in the field, and Janet Carol Norton.
Drake has reportedly signed a huge new deal with Universal Music Group.According to Variety, UMG chairman Sir Lucian Grainge confirmed the deal in a Q1 earnings call yesterday (May 3). The outlet has described the deal with Drake as an “expansive, multi-faceted deal with the company that encompasses recordings, publishing, merchandise and visual media projects”.One insider described the Drake deal to Variety as “Lebron-sized,” in reference to LeBron James’ $154million (£123million) NBA deal to join the LA Lakers in 2018, without putting a number on it.The agreement is believed to be similar to The Weeknd‘s recent long-term deal with Universal.