Julia Garner’s Alma Margo Signs First-Look Deal With Tomorrow Studios

Ben Stiller’s former production partner Nicholas Weinstock has struck a first-look deal with Fremantle.

EXCLUSIVE: Spotting new IP whose series adaptation would produce the next big TV hit has become vital for the business as the competition for eyeballs in the expanding TV universe continues to intensify. With that in mind, Sony Pictures Television has signed a first-look deal with Matt DeVoe, co-founder and CCO of CovrPrice, a comic book collectibles platform, for him to identify new trends in IP for series development.

EXCLUSIVE: Women Write Now fellow Wilandrea Blair has been awarded a first-look deal with NBCUniversal Television & Streaming to develop projects for Peacock, which will be produced by LOL Studios.

EXCLUSIVE: Carlton Cuse is returning to Amazon Studios. The prolific, Emmy-winning writer-producer, who co-created and was showrunner for the first two seasons of the Prime Video Original Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, has signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios. Under the multi-year pact, he will develop and produce projects to premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

K.J. Yossman Award-winning actor and producer Gillian Anderson has signed a first-look deal with Netflix via her production company Fiddlehead Productions.

Naman Ramachandran BBC Studios, the commercial arm of U.K. broadcaster BBC, has revealed a first look and development deal with London-based talent and entertainment company Diving Bell Group.Founded by Kim Butler and Justin Girdler in 2017, Diving Bell represents creators and innovators in the purpose-led space including model, trans activist and cultural figure Munroe Bergdorf; feminist author, illustrator and influencer Florence Given (“Women Don’t Owe You Pretty,” “Octopus”); Gina Martin, who successfully led the national campaign to make upskirting illegal; and Emma Gannon whose careers podcast “Ctrl Alt Delete” has amassed over 10 million downloads.The deal gives BBC Studios a first look at content ideas from Diving Bell clients for the purpose of collaborating to develop these ideas and pitch for commissions.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterJulia Garner has signed a first-look television deal with Tomorrow Studios, Variety has learned.Under the deal, Garner and her producing partner, Rowan Riley, will develop scripted series via their Alma Margo production company for Tomorrow Studios, an ITV partnership.“Above all else, Alma Margo is looking for bold and original content, so we thought it only natural to partner with a studio that also fits that description,” said Garner and Riley. “We are incredibly proud to be working with Tomorrow Studios who exhibit every quality that we’re looking for in a partner: intelligence, drive, experience and passion.”Garner is perhaps best known for her role in the critically-acclaimed Netflix series “Ozark,” which will release the second half of its fourth and final season in April.

EXCLUSIVE: Call My Agent! and Marianne writer Quoc Dang Tran has struck a first-look deal with Universal International Studios, becoming the first French writer to sign such a deal with a major studio.

EXCLUSIVE: Josh Berman has entered a first-look book-to-screen deal with independent publisher Sourcebooks. Under the three-year pact, Berman’s Sony Pictures Television-based Osprey Productions will have a first look at all new titles that Sourcebooks acquires film and television rights to, as well as an overall look at the company’s extensive backlist of bestselling fiction.

Skydance Animation has landed another major talent.Rich Moore, director of “Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” is joining the team in an exclusive, multi-year overall deal. Under the new pact, Moore will create, develop and produce original animated features for the studio.

EXCLUSIVE: MGM has signed a first-look feature film production deal with Oscar-winning writer Akiva Goldsman and his production company, Weed Road Pictures.

EXCLUSIVE: Redbox Entertainment has signed North American rights to Verdi Productions’ action-crime film Johnny & Clyde, starring Avan Jogia (Zombieland: Double Tap), Ajani Russell (Betty), Tyson Ritter (Preacher) and Megan Fox (The Expendables 4).

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentNetflix has set the launch date for “Borgen – Power & Glory,” the new version of the hit Danish political drama, for April 14 across the Nordics and on June 2 in the rest of the world.Directed by Per Fly, “Borgen – Power & Glory” brings back Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen) who has just been appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs when a drilling company suddenly discovers oil in Greenland. The event sparks an international struggle for power in the Arctic.“The series deals with some of the biggest political issues of our time, as well the relevance of the Danish Realm in the modern world, the superpowers’ battle for control of the Arctic – and not least, the climate crisis,” said Netflix, which described “Power & Glory” as “a stand-alone continuation of the previous seasons of ‘Borgen.'” The streamer added that “the main story focuses on the struggle for power and what power does to people – both professionally and on a personal level.”Other prominent characters in “Power & Glory” will include Katrine Fønsmark (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen) who was previously head of press.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeWarner Bros. Television Group and HBO have sealed a new first-look deal with producer Stephanie Allain (“Dear White People”) and her Homegrown Pictures banner.

Emmy-nominated producer Stephanie Allain has signed a new first-look deal with Warner Bros. Television Group and HBO. The new agreement continues Allain’s relationship with the Studio, where she and her Homegrown Pictures production company has been under a first-look pact since February 2020. Allain and her Homegrown Pictures team, including Director of Development Gabrielle Ebron, will develop original scripted programming to be produced by Warner Bros. Television for HBO and HBO Max, external streaming services, cable, and broadcast.

Lydia Hampson, the Fleabag exec and former Amazon Studios Head of UK Scripted, has joined Chernobyl indie Sister and struck a first-look deal with her former employer.

Manori Ravindran International EditorTransatlantic production powerhouse Sister has hired Amazon Studios scripted executive Lydia Hampson as executive producer. The company has also struck a first-look deal with Hampson  and Amazon Studios U.K.Hampson most recently served as the head of U.K.

Anna Delvey is look back on the moment that she met the actress who portrays her onscreen in Netflix’s new series, “Inventing Anna”.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterAmazon has ordered two seasons of an animated comedy from Ramy Youssef, Variety has learned exclusively. The series is part of new first-look deal Youssef and his Cairo Cowboy production banner have signed with the streamer.Youssef leads Cairo Cowboy with Andy Campagna, the former senior vice president of television for Sam Esmail’s Esmail Corp.“Ramy has only scratched the surface of his incredible creative gifts,” said Vernon Sanders, head of global television for Amazon.

EXCLUSIVE: Jaime Camil (Jane the Virgin, Coco) has signed a first look deal with VIS, a division of Paramount, to develop an array of TV and film projects for Paramount+.