James Patterson Signs First-Look Deal With Skydance Television

EXCLUSIVE: A+E Studios is getting into business with Curate Management and its founder Britton Rizzio. The studio has signed a first-look deal with the company to develop scripted series for broadcast and streaming in the U.S. and international space. Curate says the deal reinforces the company’s commitment to producing content that reflects unique perspectives and stories. 

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Ted Lasso” breakout Phil Dunster’s role in the second season of “Surface” has been revealed. Dunster joining the second season of the Gugu Mbatha-Raw-led Apple series was reported in early March, but character details were being kept under wraps at the time. Variety can now exclusively report that Dunster will star as Quinn, the older brother of Eliza (Millie Brady). Quinn is described as “the privileged scion of a troubled, old-money family who’s attempting to blaze a new trail for the younger generation – all the while struggling against his own darker tendencies.”

Lizzo has extended her first-look deal with Prime Video as she searches for singers for the second season of Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.

Amazon Studios has closed an exclusive multiyear first-look film deal with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, the company announced on Friday.Under the pact, Amazon Studios will have a first look on narrative features and documentaries Imagine Entertainment intends to produce.“Whether it’s a captivating drama like ‘Thirteen Lives’ or a poignant documentary like ‘Lucy and Desi,’ the team at Imagine Entertainment has an incredible gift for storytelling,” Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon and MGM Studios said in a statement. “As we look forward to more exciting projects on the horizon, we are honored to make our longstanding relationship official and to bring more powerful, engaging stories to audiences around the world.”“Brian, Ron, and I, along with our entire team at Imagine including Karen Lunder, President of Imagine Features, and Sara Bernstein, President of Imagine Documentaries, couldn’t be more excited to have a home at Amazon and continue our shared desire to make tentpole films that inspire, elevate, and entertain audiences,” Justin Wilkes, President of Imagine Entertainment added.

Amazon Studios has signed an exclusive first look deal with former Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada, the company announced on Thursday.Under the deal Quesada will be developing series and films for Prime Video, with a particular focus on adapting existing and new comic book IP. “Joe has been a singular and influential creative force guiding some of the most iconic storytelling that exists today,” Nick Pepper, Head of US SVOD Wholly Owned Development, Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “The opportunity to bring his expertise and vision to Amazon Studios presents a world of possibilities and we can’t wait to see what he brings to life next.”Quesada added: “I can’t begin to express just how thrilled I am to be joining the Amazon Studios family.

Amazon Studios has signed an exclusive first-look deal with former Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada. Under the deal, Quesada will be developing series and films for Prime Video, focusing on adapting existing and new comic book IP.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Joe Quesada, the former editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, has signed a first-look film and TV deal with Amazon Studios. Under the deal, Quesada will develop film and TV projects with a particular focus on adapting comic book IP, including both new and existing titles. “I can’t begin to express just how thrilled I am to be joining the Amazon Studios family,” Quesada said. “From the moment Nick Pepper, Matt King, and the team approached me, it was clear we spoke the same language and shared the same creative goals. What was also clear is that they’re creating a collaborative environment and unique methodology that I’m surprised no one has yet thought to implement, but I’m certain will be quickly imitated.”

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winning co-director/co-scribe/producer of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Rodney Rothman, and former MGM exec Adam Rosenberg, have inked a first look deal with Sony Pictures to develop, produce, write, and direct feature films through their company, Modern Magic.

EXCLUSIVE: Showrunner and producer Ingrid Escajeda has signed a first look deal with Universal TV to develop and produce projects for broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.

Skydance Television announced an exclusive, first-look deal with world’s best-selling author James Patterson to develop a slate of premium series based on his top selling book series “Women’s Murder Club” and “Michael Bennett” Tuesday morning.The “Womans Murder Club” series watches a group of women with different jobs investigate crimes and team up to solve murders. “The “Michael Bennett” series follows an NYPD detective who solves crimes while simultaneously raising 10 adopted children.Other projects include adapting the internationally acclaimed book series “Private” and the soon-to-be published books “Jane Smith” and “Holmes, Miss Marple and “Poe.” “Private” follows an elite private investigation agency run by Jack Morgan, a former CIA agent.

EXCLUSIVE: Sharp Objects developer/executive producer Marti Noxon is reuniting with eOne, the indie studio behind the Emmy-nominated HBO drama, with a two-year exclusive first-look deal for television and new media.

EXCLUSIVE: Josh Gordon and Will Speck have signed a first look deal with Sony Pictures Entertainment to develop and produce feature films. The news comes in the wake of their feature take of children’s book Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile grossing over $104M WW.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Bel-Air” has been renewed for Season 3 at Peacock. The dramatic reboot of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” is currently airing its second season on the streamer, with the season finale set to run on April 27. This marks the first official renewal for the show, as it was originally picked up for two seasons back in 2020. Like the sitcom version, “Bel-Air” follows a teenager named Will (Jabari Banks), who moves from West Philadelphia to live with his auntie and uncle in the titular posh Los Angeles neighborhood. Along with Banks, Season of the series also stars Adrian Holmes, Cassandra Freeman, Olly Sholotan, Coco Jones, Akira Akbar, Jimmy Akingbola, Jordan L. Jones and Simone Joy Jones. Tatyana Ali, who played the original Ashley Banks in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” appeared in Season 2 in a recurring guest role.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Halcyon Studios has brought on Phil Abraham to direct and executive produce the series “Beverly Hills Noir,” Variety has learned exclusively. Halcyon, a division of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, is producing the show, which is based on “Gemstone” by James Ellroy. Per the official logline, the show “follows two female detectives as they are sucked into the vortex of power, greed, and cold-blooded conspiracy in one of the most aspirational cities in the world, Beverly Hills.” Ed Decter is writing the series and will also serve as executive producer and showrunner. Along with Decter and Abraham, Ellroy, Stewart Till, and Richard Potter also executive produce. No network or streaming service is currently attached to the project.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “The Penguin” series at HBO Max has added Michael Zegen, James Madio, and Scott Cohen to its cast in recurring roles, Variety has learned exclusively. The three join a cast that includes series lead Colin Farrell, who will reprise the role of Oswald “The Penguin” Cobblepot from “The Batman, as well as Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, and Clancy Brown. HBO Max is not releasing character details for three new additions, but sources say that Zegen is set to play Alberto Falcone. Alberto is the son of Gotham City crime boss Carmine Falcone, who was played by John Turturro in “The Batman,” and the brother of Sofia Falcone, who will be played by Milioti in “The Penguin.” In the comics, Alberto takes credit for being the serial killer known as The Holiday Killer, who targets Gotham gangsters on a holiday each month.

Parker Finn has just signed a first-look deal with Paramount to write, produce, and direct features.

Axios confirmed to Vanity Fair that Montgomery is no longer with the company but did not elaborate. The news website is based in Arlington, Virginia. It was launched in 2017 by former Politico journalists Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen and Roy Schwartz.Perhaps he should have considered being a journalist, not an activist or propagandist.The email sent from the Florida Department of Education Press Office billed the upcoming DeSantis-hosted event as “exposing the diversity equity and inclusion scam in higher education.” DeSantis has previously called his state “where woke goes to die.” A recent ban of more than 80 titles in Martin County schools that included works by Jodi Picoult, James Patterson and Toni Morrison went into effect earlier this month.

$217 million at the global box office last fall, filmmaker Parker Finn has signed a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures. “I am honored and thrilled to be joining the Paramount family,” Finn said in a statement.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Somebody must be flashing their pearly whites. Paramount Pictures has entered a multi-year, first-look deal with Parker Finn to write, produce and direct features.  The pact comes on the heels of Finn’s breakout horror hit “Smile,” which became a sleeper box office sensation. Finn wrote and directed the creepy tale, which went on to be the top grossing original horror movie of 2022, raking in $216 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. It was based on his short film “Laura Hasn’t Slept.” “‘Smile’s’breakthrough success is a testament to Parker’s unique and fresh filmmaking, and we are thrilled that he will make Paramount his home,” said Paramount Pictures President & CEO Brian Robbins.

Paramount Pictures has hammered a multi-year, first-look deal with Parker Finn to write, produce and direct features.