‘Hidden Figures’ Screenwriter & Scooter Braun Teaming Up For Scripted E! Musical Series (EXCLUSIVE)
“Hidden Figures” screenwriter Allison Schroeder is working on her next project, following the release of her Golden Globe-nominated film.
Schroeder has sold a scripted drama to E! about an aspiring songwriter, which she is producing with music manager Scooter Braun, Variety has learned exclusively.
“Inspiration” is a music-themed series with a few scenes that will have musical break-out-into-song elements.
Schroeder is writer on the project. She will serve as executive producer with Braun and Scott Manson of Braun’s SB Projects, and Good Fear‘s Chris Bender and Jake Weiner. SB Projects’ David Appleton and James Shin, and Good Fear’s Daniel Vang are producers.
The drama centers on an upcoming musician, Elise Moreno, who’s trying to make it in Los Angeles. Growing up in small-town Texas, the young songwriter has never met her rock star father until he falls into a coma and then she’s granted his Power of Attorney, entrusting his multi-million dollar music career in Beverly Hills to his illegitimate daughter, his best-kept secret and the one person he believes will have no ulterior motive. The last thing Elise wants from her father is his money or his name — she wants to make it on her own. Per the official description of the series, the show begs the question, “What if you could be along for the ride as a budding musician writes the album that will ultimately make her famous?”
Along with SB Projects and Good Fear, the series hails from Universal Cable Productions, the in-house NBCUniversal studio that also produces E!’s other scripted series “The Royals” and upcoming drama “The Arrangement.”
Should “Inspiration” get greenlit, it would mark E!’s third scripted series. Currently, the project is in early development.
The rising star theme of “Inspiration” is familiar territory for Braun, who discovered Justin Bieber and has managed the mega-star throughout his entire career. Among the other pop culture talents he works with is Ariana Grande, Kanye West, Karlie Kloss and Tori Kelly. The founder of SB Projects, Braun’s entertainment and media company integrates music, film, television, technology and philanthropy. The banner is currently developing many scripted and unscripted TV and film projects, and among the company’s credits is “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” and “Scorpion” on CBS.
Schroeder also has experience in the musical world of television. Aside from the Oscar contender “Hidden Figures,” which stars Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer, Schroeder created Awesomeness TV’s musical series “Side Effects,” and sold her “Agatha” spec script about Agatha Christie to Paramount. In 2016, she was named one of Variety’s Top Ten Screenwriters to Watch. For “Hidden Figures,” Schroeder was nominated for a WGA and BAFTA for screenwriting, and is also Humanitas Prize finalist. She is repped by Verve, Good Fear and Lev Ginsburg.
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