Will Ferrell & Jessica Elbaum’s Gloria Sanchez Productions Inks First-Look Feature Deal With 20th Century Studios

Anthony D'Alessandro
·3 min read

20th Century Studios has signed a three-year first-look deal with Will Ferrell and Jessica Elbaum’s Gloria Sanchez Productions for feature-length movies in the theatrical and streaming space.

“We are thrilled to be working with Jessica, Will, and the rest of the team at Gloria Sanchez. They bring an incredible depth of experience making smart, hilarious films and their passion for fresh filmmaking voices aligns perfectly with our vision here at 20th,” 20th Century Studios president Steve Asbell said Wednesday.

More from Deadline

Said Elbaum and Ferrell: “We’re beyond excited to have found a home in 20th Century Studios and to be working with an incredible team who fundamentally believes in what we’re doing at Gloria Sanchez. They share our creative vision and we can’t wait to work together to bring fresh stories to screens big and small. We’re already planning a six-month company retreat in the Cayman Islands. Why the Cayman Islands? Don’t worry about it!”

Elbaum originally launched Gloria Sanchez Productions in 2014 centering on female voices in comedy. From there, the label expanded into multiple genres and platforms in film and TV. Gloria Sanchez already has a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix, which came on the heels of the success of Dead to Me, which aired its second season on the streaming service in May 2020. The series was nominated for four Emmys including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for both Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. A third season has been ordered.

Gloria Sanchez’s Eurovision premiered on Netflix last summer and was nominated this year for an Oscar for “Husavik” in the Original Song category. The film stars Ferrell and Rachel McAdams as two Icelandic singers who are given the chance to represent their country at the renowned Eurovision Song Contest. Pic was directed by David Dobkin and written by Ferrell and Andrew Steele.

Up next, Gloria Sanchez is producing Apple TV+’s The Shrink Next Door directed by Michael Showalter and written by Georgia Pritchett. The eight-episode limited series stars Ferrell, Paul Rudd and Kathryn Hahn and will debut in the fall. The series, which is based on the No. 1 new podcast of 2019 by Wondery and Bloomberg Media, will follow the bizarre relationship between a psychiatrist and his longtime patient.

Gloria Sanchez is reteaming with Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar stars and creators Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo on Disney’s untitled Cinderella Evil Stepsisters live-action film, for which Wiig and Mumolo will write the script. Also in the pipeline, it was recently announced that the label will be producing the Todd Haynes-directed May December starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore alongside Killer Films and MountainA. The family drama will be shopped at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival by Rocket Science.

Previous Gloria Sanchez’s features include Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Hustlers and Booksmart.

Gloria Sanchez is represented by UTA, Mosaic and attorneys Jackoway Austen.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.