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

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.

EXCLUSIVE: Fremantle HR boss Nicky Gray is exiting the Got Talent and Normal People super-indie after more than two decades.

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.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International “The White Lotus” creator Mike White’s idea for Season 3 of the hit show has already gone done well with HBO bosses, confirmed Casey Bloys at Series Mania. The executive revealed at the French drama festival on Thursday that White has “just pitched us the idea and it’s great. It’s a really fun idea and he’s shown it’s possible.” Speaking to entertainment journalist Edith Bowman, Bloys added that White is “casting people you know” in the show, but writing their characters in a way that “allows you to rediscover them or see them in a new light” — an obvious nod to now Golden Globe-winning actor Jennifer Coolidge.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International “The White Lotus” creator Mike White has his idea for Season 3 of the hit show, and it’s already gone done well with HBO bosses, confirmed Casey Bloys at Series Mania. The executive revealed that White has “just pitched us the idea and it’s great. It’s a really fun idea and he’s shown it’s possible.” Bloys, who was speaking to entertainment journalist Edith Bowman, added that White is “casting people you know” in the show, but writing their characters in a way that “allows you to rediscover them or see them in a new light.” The HBO exec also noted that he “would have taken more” seasons of “Succession” but respected showrunner Jesse Armstrong’s decision to end the hit drama with Season 4.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Lisa Joy, showrunner of “Westworld” and “The Peripheral,” says the Writers’ Guild of America is “acting for [writers’] collective good” in its negotiations with studios, even if it could potentially lead to a strike in May. Joy, who runs production company Kilter Films, is being honored at French TV drama festival Series Mania this week. She took part in a keynote conversation on Wednesday, at which she quipped that a strike will mean “more time with my kids.” “It’s a little stressful because I’ve reached a point where I can manage without work for a while,” said Joy. “As it is, we have shows coming out and we’re in the editing process. We have a rotation of shows that aren’t dependent on writing at the phase they’re in. But I always stand by the decision of the Writers’ Guild — I know they’re acting for our collective good.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Civil unrest in France is hitting drama event Series Mania as transit strikes and protests begin to impact festival goers. The popular European drama festival is held annually in Lille in northern France, and has this year drawn its largest number of delegates to date. But the event’s usually tranquil city setting has taken an unexpected turn amid national turmoil in France due to President Emmanuel Macron’s controversial pension reform. Macron’s government is raising the minimum retirement age in France from 62 to 64 years, and prolonging the years of contributions required for a full pension. The reforms were passed last week without a parliamentary vote, prompting widespread protests around the country that have only built upon months of hostilities and strikes by groups such as rail and waste disposal workers.

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.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Fremantle’s Documentaries division has launched Undeniable, a label dedicated to producing premium feature documentaries and series, in partnership with high-profile talent and international commissioners, Mandy Chang, Fremantle’s global head of documentaries, revealed Tuesday at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. The label is already developing several international projects and partnerships with high-profile filmmakers, including Amy Berg (“Deliver Us From Evil,” “Phoenix Rising”), Chris Smith (“Tiger King,” “Bad Vegan”), and Penny Lane and Gabriel Sedgwick (“Hail Satan?,” “Listening to Kenny G”). Chang said: “The launch of Undeniable further underlines our commitment and ambition to build Fremantle’s documentary output on the premium side. Working with the very best filmmakers and emerging talent, the label will provide editorial and production expertise and support in multiple genres. Importantly, it will provide a platform and freedom for creative talent to unlock and explore important issues and stories to be told.”

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.

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.