FilmNation Entertainment, the independent film company behind “Arrival” and “The Big Sick,” has sold a one-hour television drama to Amazon in the production company’s first TV deal, Variety has learned.
Written by author Jardine Libaire, and adapted from her acclaimed second novel, “White Fur,” the series is a love story that follows a young couple who battles the class divide and social conformity in 1980s New York. Drake Doremus is set to direct, making this his first foray into television.
FilmNation Entertainment’s Ben Browning, Brenda Vogel and Glen Basner will executive produce with Doremus. Libaire is co-executive producer.
Doremus’ previous work includes feature films “Like Crazy,” winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and “Equals,” starring Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult, which was launched in competition at the 2015 Venice Film Festival. His latest feature, “Newness,” starring Nicholas Hoult and Laia Costa recently sold to Netflix after making its debut at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
“Working with FilmNation and with Drake Doremus has been such a powerfully creative experience, and finding a home at Amazon is a dream. Everyone involved is interested in incubating an intelligently subversive love story, and I’m just thrilled to develop White Fur with this team,” said Libaire.
FilmNation hired Vogel as vice president of television last year to help build a slate of television projects. The company is looking to develop and produce shows in the one-hour and half-hour spaces for cable and broadcast. Previously, Vogel served as vice president of features and television at Groundswell Productions, working on projects such as “Chance” (Hulu), “The Magicians” (Syfy), and “Smilf” (Showtime), and served as a development executive for Paul and Chris Weitz’s Depth of Field.
