‘Russian Doll’ Creator Leslye Headland Inks Overall Deal With Fox 21 Television Studios
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Leslye Headland is getting back in business with Fox 21 Television Studios.
The “Russian Doll” co-creator, who worked with the studio on the 2010 FX series “Terriers,” has signed a multi-year overall deal with the Disney-owned studio. As part of the deal, Headland will be looking to create, develop and direct series for network, cable and streaming platforms.
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Headland is best known for co-creating “Russian Doll” with Amy Poehler and series star Natasha Lyonne. The series’ first season was nominated for a hatful of Emmys, taking home three, after being handed a season 2 renewal in May.
“Every once in a very rare while, you watch some TV show or movie, and it’s so special that you think how lucky you’d be if you got to work with its creator. And rarer still is when you meet them and you can’t believe that they are better than you could’ve even imagined. That’s our experience with Leslye,” said Fox 21 TV Studios president Bert Salke. “Her incredible work in both film and TV is surpassed only by how awesome she is in real life.”
Headland began her career writing and directing in the theater, with the “Seven Deadly Plays” being her standout work. One of the plays in the series, “Bachelorette,” was the basis for her directorial film debut starring Kirsten Dunst. Her other film credits include writing the 2014 remake of “About Last Night” starring Kevin Hart, and writing and directing “Sleeping with Other People” starring Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie.” On the TV front, Headland has written and directed pilots for HBO, ABC and NBC, as well as “Blunt Talk” on Starz, “SMILF” and “Black Monday” for Showtime, “Heathers” for Paramount, and of course “Russian Doll” for Netflix.
“I am thrilled to be working with Bert, Jane, Dana and Craig, and the Fox 21 team,” added Headland. “They championed me and helped me land my first job as a staff writer about ten years ago. I was an unpublished playwright and they fought to get me a seat at the table. It has been an ambition of mine to return to the fold and develop my personal and passion projects with them. I am so excited to get started and grateful for this incredible opportunity!”
Headland is represented by Michael Sugar at Sugar23 and Steve Younger at Myman Greenspan, as well as UTA as a director.
She is the latest in a string of creatives to sign with Fox 21 after Tom McCarthy, of “Spotlight” and “The Loudest Voice” acclaim, and regular Lena Dunham collaborator Jenni Konner also inked deals with the studio within the last month.
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