Lionsgate TV‘s Chairman Kevin Beggs has announced that they are partnering with the three-time Emmy-nominated writer/director and DGA Award winner, Paul Feig (Freaks and Geeks, The Office) alongside his producing partner Jessie Henderson to create scripted and unscripted series and formats for the Lionsgate Television Group through Feigco Entertainment.
Lionsgate’s relationship with Feig in the television business already includes the unscripted half-hour comedy series The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale, an absurdist look at pop culture which Feig executive produces alongside McHale, K.P. Anderson, and Henderson. The show generated tremendous buzz in its Netflix global launch last month.
Chris Selak, Lionsgate Executive Vice President and Head of Worldwide Scripted Television, said: “Paul Feig is one of the most prolific and versatile talents in film and television today, and we’re thrilled to continue growing our multifaceted relationship with him across our scripted television business. Paul epitomizes the ‘premium’ in premium talent, and our collaborative, cross-divisional approach allows us to tap his creative brilliance across an ever-expanding array of platforms.”
Lionsgate Executive Vice President of Alternative Programming, Jennifer O’Connell, added that they are “incredibly fortunate to have a world-class talent of Paul’s caliber as part of our creative family. There are few creative voices who could have an impact in so many different parts of our business. Our relationship with Paul has already resulted in the global launch of ‘The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale,’ and we’re excited about working with him and Jessie on additional nonfiction projects as we continue to ramp up our premium unscripted slate.”
Feig says that he’s delighted with this opportunity and being able to expand his collaboration efforts with the Lionsgate Television Group: “I’ve worked with Kevin and his amazingly talented team since the days of ‘Nurse Jackie,’ and Lionsgate has proven itself time and again to be a home for bold creative vision and ground-breaking original content. I can hardly wait for this next exciting chapter in our partnership.”
Besides his numerous jobs in television, Feig is also one of the industry’s elite filmmakers, directing a string of critically-acclaimed blockbusters that include the female star-driven comedies Bridesmaids, Spy, Ghostbusters, and The Heat. Feig’s films have grossed over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, and he is currently in post-production on Lionsgate’s stylish thriller, A Simple Favor, starring Blake Lively, Anna Kendrick, and Henry Golding. The movie is set to be released on September 14.
The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Executive Vice President of Television Business Affairs Dan Hadl. As Feigco continues to expand its television business, executive Dan Magnante has been promoted to oversee the banner’s television development.
Feig joins a star-studded Lionsgate Television creative roster that already includes Kevin Hart, Jenji Kohan, Courtney Kemp, Matt Kunitz, Jeff Apploff, K.P. Anderson, Joel Silver, and John Goldwyn, among others.
