‘Arrival’ producer FilmNation expands into TV with Amazon deal
Unlike many film producers, FilmNation has stayed out of the television game, focusing instead on cinematic material such as recent best-picture nominee “Arrival” and summer art-house darling “The Big Sick.”
That’s about to change. The New York-based company announced Tuesday that it has sold “White Fur,” a series based on Jardine Libaire’s eponymous romantic novel, to Amazon in a TV development deal.
Libaire will also write the series, with Drake Doremus (“Like Crazy”) attached to direct a potential pilot. FilmNation executives Glen Basner, Ben Browning and Brenda Vogel will serve as executive producers. Vogel, who has worked as a TV producer and executive on shows such as Syfy’s “The Magicians,” is also overseeing broader TV efforts for FilmNation. No casting has been announced.
“White Fur” looks at two young people from opposite sides of the tracks who fall in love in the class swirl of 1980s New York, as a blue-collar young woman and a son of privilege fall for each other. The character-driven story has received strong critical notices since coming out in the spring.
Though the deal is only for development, it represents a new phase for FilmNation, which, unlike competitors such as Anonymous Content and others, has been more deliberate about the television business. Headed by Basner, a longtime independent film executive, FilmNation began as an international sales company before expanding into film finance and production. Basner said in an interview last February that he was interested in television but wanted to expand strategically into the space.
Browning noted in a statement that “Jardine’s fresh voice coupled with Drake’s distinct style are the makings of a sexy, smart and compelling show” and, more generally, that “Brenda’s experience and taste is key to us achieving in television our perpetual goal of broadening FilmNation’s relationships with the most original and bold storytellers.”
FilmNation has a history with Amazon. The film company sold “The Big Sick” to the streaming company for an estimated $12 million at Sundance. The film, which went into wide release last weekend, has grossed $16 million thus far.
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