Julie Plec Inks Mega Overall Deal With Universal Television

Nellie Andreeva
·3 min read

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The Vampire Diaries co-creator and The Originals and Legacies creator Julie Plec is leaving her longtime Warner Bros. TV studio home after 11 years. In a competitive situation, the prolific showrunner/executive producer/director has signed a massive four-year exclusive overall deal with Universal Television. No details are being released, but sources pegged the pact at more than $60 million.

Under the deal, Plec will develop projects across all platforms for the studio through her banner, My So-Called Company, which she plans to grow into a full-fledged pod. The projects under the overall agreement will include series created and written by Plec. She also will supervise other writers as they create shows through My So-Called Company.

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“Six months ago we made a target wishlist of talented creators we really wanted to work with. Julie Plec was at the very top of that list, said Universal Television President Pearlena Igbokwe. “With all of the options available to her, Julie chose Universal Television. We are overjoyed and can’t stop smiling! Julie is an expert storyteller who has created characters that have left an indelible mark on the audience. The sky’s the limit for this new collaboration.”

Plec co-created with Kevin Williamson the hit 2009 series The Vampire Diaries. She was at the helm of the vampire drama for its entire eight-season run and turned it into a successful three-series franchise universe that has produced over 300 episodes of television to date. Plec is the creator, executive producer and showrunner on both offshoot series, The Originals, which aired for five seasons, and Legacies, already renewed by the CW for next season, its third.

During her tenure at WBTV, Plec served as executive producer on seven series and directed multiple episodes of television, including the pilot of Roswell, New Mexico, which she also executive produced along with The Vampire Diaries, Legacies, and the CW’s hit series Riverdale. In her early career, she worked alongside Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson on the Scream film franchise, and Williamson’s Dawson’s Creek.

Plec’s latest series The Girls on the Bus, which she co-created with New York Times writer Amy Chozick, inspired by a chapter of Chozick’s book Chasing Hillary, was picked up straight to series at Netflix in a bidding war with Berlanti Television producing. She has multiple projects in development as well.

“I’m thrilled to embark on a new journey with Pearlena and the group of extraordinary women who are ruling the world at Universal Television. They’ve made it abundantly clear just how much opportunity there is at the studio right now, with the launch of Peacock and their active relationships with the other streamers, not to mention the broadcast opportunities.” said Plec. “I love making television that is both thrilling and emotionally powerful, and I look forward to the adventure ahead at my new home. I am also grateful for my current home, WBTV, and look forward to continuing to nourish the shows we happily built together over the last decade.”

Plec is repped by Management 360 and Eric Suddleson of Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson.

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