Hungry for a YA novel about Kitchen Nightmares? Fox and HarperCollins may have you covered.
On Wednesday, Fox Entertainment Studios (FES) and HarperCollins Productions revealed a very unique first-look development deal. It is a reciprocal arrangement, meaning the Fox studio will get first crack at adapting material from HarperCollins — its Avon A imprint, to be specific — and gives Avon A the first opportunity to publish literary adaptations of FES shows and movies.
Or put more eloquently, “Together, the companies will create a powerful, ongoing content pipeline that flows seamlessly between book and screen,” the press release reads. “The result is a dynamic creative exchange designed to supercharge storytelling and extend IP across mediums in bold new ways.”
So eloquent — it’s almost as if a HarperCollins author wrote it. (No shade to our Fox PR friends.)
“From YA to horror, Avon A has built an impressive library of genre-spanning, trend-driven stories that are begging for adaptation. Our ability to mine this rich, ever-growing collection opens a world of storytelling possibilities with of the moment immediacy for viewers and readers alike,” said Hannah Pillemer, head of scripted for Fox Entertainment Studios. “The reciprocal nature of our partnership makes it even more exciting by connecting audiences with great stories in new ways and giving them fresh opportunities to enjoy characters they love across multiple mediums.”
“Developing new IP across both screen and page is the kind of symbiotic relationship that’s a storyteller’s dream, whether you’re an author or a screenwriter,” said Caroline Fraser, head of HarperCollins Productions. “The team at Avon A and our friends at Fox are already deep into their respective wish lists of adaptations and plan to announce an inaugural slate of fresh, captivating storytelling opportunities soon. From engaging audiences with a great new movie or inspiring people to read books, there’s no question this partnership is a great match.”
“This is about building a true creative dialogue between two companies that deeply understand what readers and viewers want,” added Tessa Woodward, vice president and editorial director at Avon A. “By combining our focus on delivering trend-driven, genre-spanning fiction for readers of all ages with Fox’s track record in producing unforgettable scripted entertainment, we’re creating a pipeline that delivers compelling, commercial stories across platforms by deepening fan engagement and creating new entry points into our authors’ work.”
The companies plan to co-produce a slate of projects with HarperCollins Productions executives, led by Caroline Fraser and Jennifer Contrucci, who will serve as non-writing producers “to ensure creative continuity from page to screen,” the announcement continues.
Fox Entertainment Studios houses in-house scripted and unscripted studio divisions, animation studio Bento Box Entertainment, TMZ, independent film label Tideline Entertainment and Gordon Ramsay’s (and Fox’s — it’s a partnership) Studio Ramsay Global.