‘The Case Against Adnan Syed’ Director Amy Berg Strikes First-Look Deal With Fremantle

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. 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.

Clone High, HBO Max’s upcoming revival of the classic MTV series from Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Bill Lawrence, will premiere this spring, it was revealed during the show’s panel at WonderCon.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Best-selling author James Patterson has signed an exclusive first-look deal with Skydance Television. Under the terms of the deal, Patterson will develop television adaptations of his best selling book series “Women’s Murder Club” and Michael Bennett books, as well as book series “Private” and the soon-to-be published books “Jane Smith” and “Holmes, Miss Marple and Poe.” “In speaking with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and the team, it quickly became clear Skydance is only interested in making quality entertainment with top talent,” said Patterson. “This kind of partnership is exactly what we have been seeking for James Patterson Entertainment, as we continue to grow our brand across every area of the business.”

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.

Fremantle has launched a premium documentaries label helmed by Mandy Chang.

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.

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

Fremantle’s revenues rose 21% to €2.3B ($2.44B) and profits were up 15% last year as the super-indie inches toward its target to hit €3B ($3.2B) turnover by 2025.

Pete Davidson, Joe Pesci and Edie Falco, will premiere May 4, the streamer announced Wednesday. As part of the reveal, Peacock also shared first-look photos from the series. Davidson serves as writer and executive producer and stars in the fictionalized version of his life. Falco portrays his mom and Pesci will portray his grandfather. “Bupkis” will include an array of guest stars, including Charlie Day, Brad Garrett, Simon Rex, Ray Romano, Kenan Thompson and Chase Sui Wonders. Judah Miller serves as showrunner, executive producer and writer. Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer, Erin David also executive produced alongside co-writer Dave Sirus.

$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. 

Acclaimed documentarian Amy Berg has signed an exclusive first-look agreement with Fremantle. The Oscar and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker behind projects like “The Case Against Adnan Syed,” “Deliver Us From Evil” and “West of Memphis” will work with Fremantle’s Global Head of Documentaries, Mandy Chang, to create an internationally focused slate of nonfiction films.Berg’s company, Disarming Films, has been producing long-form documentary features and docuseries for over a decade.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Fremantle has struck an exclusive first-look deal with Oscar- and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Amy Berg. Under the agreement, Berg’s Disarming Films and Fremantle will jointly develop a slate of documentaries, with Berg working closely with Fremantle’s global head of documentaries Mandy Chang to produce premium projects. Berg’s company, Disarming Films, has been producing documentary features and docuseries for broadcast for over a decade. Berg produced “The Case Against Adnan Syed” for HBO and is currently working on a special follow-up episode set to premiere this fall. Other projects include “We Are: The Brooklyn Saints” (Netflix), “Dogs” (Netflix) and “Keep This Between Us” (Freeform). Her latest film, “Phoenix Rising,” premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2022 and on HBO and HBO Max.

Writer-director and producer Craig Gillespie has signed a first look deal with Tomorrow Studios, a division of ITV Studios.The deal solidifies and expands the Australian filmmaker’s relationship with the company, with which he already collaborates on Season 3 of “Physical.” Gillespie serves as a director and executive producer on the Apple TV+ series, along with Tomorrow Studios’ CEO Marty Adelstein and president Becky Clements.Gillespie recently executive produced and directed episodes of “Mike” and “Pam & Tommy.” His film work includes the Oscar-winning “I, Tonya,” “Cruella,” and “Lars and the Real Girl.” He’s slated to direct a “Chippendales” movie starring Elle Fanning and Seth Rogen, as well as the sequel to “Cruella” and “Dumb Money,” a star-studded dramedy about the Wall Street GameStop debacle.“I’m thrilled to be working with Marty, Becky and the team at Tomorrow Studios,” said Gillespie in a press statement. “Their taste, independence and fearlessness with material are exactly what I was looking for to expand what I’m doing in television!”“As we continue studio growth, having likeminded partners becomes of even greater importance, and we share with Craig a great passion for producing compelling scripted television projects.