FremantleMedia NORTH AMERICA (FMNA), continuing the expansion of its scripted television business, has entered into an exclusive, multi-year first look agreement with award-winning author Neil Gaiman. FMNA and Gaiman first began their relationship when the two joined forces to adapt Gaiman's American Gods. This new far-reaching agreement will provide opportunities for FMNA and Gaiman to adapt any of his uniquely wide ranging works - from novels to short stories, etc. - for television. The deal also allows for adaptation of projects involving third party source material and intellectual properties. The partnership spans Gaiman's involvement in all creative capacities, including as a writer and as a producer.
FMNA and Gaiman are already working together to identify a full slate of projects. It's expected that upcoming ventures will encompass both original content, as well as existing Gaiman properties, many of them bringing in acclaimed creators from additionAl Fields, with Cat Mihos continuing to serve as the director of development for Gaiman's The Blank Corporation.
Craig Cegielski, co-CEO, FremantleMedia North America, said "Neil Gaiman is one of the most distinctive writers of our time and we've been incredibly fortunate to be entrusted with his vision while adapting American Gods. Our experience together has proven more than collaborative - it's a shared ambition to create, develop and produce singular, bespoke content. We couldn't be happier to diversify and expand our relationship to future projects."
Commented Neil Gaiman, "Working with my friends at FremantleMedia on shepherding American Gods to the screen has been exciting and delightful way to spend the last three years. I've learned to trust them, and to harness their talents and enthusiasm, as they've learned to harness mine. They don't mind that I love creating a ridiculously wide variety of things, and I am glad that even the strangest projects of mine will have a home with them. American Gods is TV nobody has seen before and I can't wait to announce the specifics behind what we have coming up next."
Gaiman and FMNA recently wrapped production on the first season of their adaptation of Gaiman's award-winning novel, American Gods. The series that brought the two together is set to premiere on Starz on Sunday, April 30th in the U.S., and Amazon Prime Video internationally on Monday, May 1st.
ABOUT FREMANTLEMEDIA NORTH AMERICA
FremantleMedia NORTH AMERICA (FMNA) is a premier content studio. FMNA and its portfolio of companies, including Random House Studio, Original Productions and 495 Productions, create entertaining and innovative scripted and alternative programs for network, cable, Syndicated and digital partners. Its diverse, critically-acclaimed and award-winning slate includes AMERICA'S GOT TALENT (NBC), FAMILY FEUD (SYN), Let's Make A Deal (CBS), The Price Is Right (CBS), THE GREAT CHRISTMAS LIGHT FIGHT (ABC), DEADLIEST CATCH (Discovery), Jay Leno'S GARAGE (CNBC) MARRIED TO MEDICINE (Bravo), Martha and Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party (VH1), BLUE COLLAR MILLIONAIRES (CNBC), STORAGE WARS (A&E), CELEBRITY FAMILY FEUD (ABC), To Tell The Truth (ABC), Match Game (ABC) and American Gods (STARZ), among others. FMNA also operates BUZZR, a retro game show channel that launched in 2015, and is available in the top 10 U.S. markets, and 65 percent of the country.
FMNA is the U.S. arm of global media giant FremantleMedia, which includes a distribution arm, FremantleMedia International, a digital and branded entertainment division and a kids & family entertainment business. As one of the world's largest and most successful creators, producers and distributors of TV brands in the world, FremantleMedia's comprehensive global network has operations in 31 countries, creating over 10,000 hours of programming a year, rolling out more than 45 formats and managing over 350 individual titles. The company also distributes more than 20,000 hours of content in over 200 territories. For more information follow us @FMNATV and visit our Facebook page.
ABOUT NEIL GAIMA Neil Gaiman is the award-winning author of books, graphic novels, short stories, and films for all ages, including the Oscar nominatedCoraline, andNorse Mythology, currently the #1 work of fiction on both The New York Times and London Times Best Seller Lists. Some of his most notable titles include the groundbreakingSandman comics series, The Graveyard Book (the only book ever to win both the Newbery and Carnegie medals), andThe Ocean at the End of the Lane, the UK's National Book Award 2013 Book of the Year. The film adaptation of his short storyHow to Talk to Girls at Parties will be in released in 2017. Born in the UK, he now lives in the United States.
