Aline Brosh McKenna Inks Overall Deal With ABC Studios; Sets Pop Star Comedy ‘Hit’ At Hulu

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Crazy Ex-Girlfriend co-creator Aline Brosh McKenna has signed a three-year-old overall pod deal with ABC Studios. Under the pact, Brosh McKenna will develop projects across all platforms for ABC Studios, part of Disney Television Studios, through her newly launched company, Lean Machine.

The first project Brosh McKenna has set under the deal is comedy Hit, which is in development at Hulu with director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson attached. Like the praised Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which ran on the CW for four seasons, Hit has music elements.

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At Lean Machine, Brosh McKenna will work on her own material as well as providing a home for other creators. Emily Rasenick has been tapped as Lean Machine’s director of development.

Co-written by Brosh McKenna and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend alum Alden Derck, Hit tells the story of a young pop star who struggling to write her debut album and gets stuck in a songwriting boot camp organized by the anxious execs at her record label. Brosh McKenna and Derck will executive produce with Robinson, who will direct.

McKenna is known for her 2006 feature adaptation of the popular novel The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep, and for co-creating Crazy Ex-Girlfriend with star Rachel Bloom. Brosh McKennna was the showrunner and directed the finale episodes of all four seasons of the CW series. McKenna’s other feature credits include 27 Dresses, Morning Glory and We Bought a Zoo.

“Aline’s film and TV work is truly unique and exceptional,” ABC Studios President Jonnie Davis said. “Anyone who can write for Meryl Streep and Rachel Bloom is someone we want to be in business with, and we can’t wait to see what Aline and Emily have in store for us.”

Derck, who started as a writers assistant on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, wrote two episodes of the musical dramedy, including one co-written with Brosh McKenna.

Robinson’s credits include Someone Great and Sweet/Vicious.

Rasenick was most recently the creative executive at Footprint Features (When We First Met, Shimmer Lake).

“I am so excited to be partnering with ABC Studios,” said Brosh McKenna. “Dana [Walden], Jonnie and the whole development team have so much passion for creating unique, quality television. I’m thrilled for the chance to continue working on projects I love. I hope Lean Machine will be a home for material that is character-driven, inclusive, human and which puts writers and writing at the center of the creative process.”

Brosh McKenna is repped by Ken Richman at HJTH.

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