Prolific producers Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz are returning to the small screen.
The duo has signed a multiple-year first-look overall deal with Lionsgate Television, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Under the pact, the duo — whose TV credits include My So-Called Life, thirtysomething and Once and Again — will create and produce scripted programming for the company.
The pact marks the TV return for the pair, whose most recent small-screen series was Quarterlife — considered one of the first made-for-the-Internet original scripted entries. NBC picked up the second window for the series, which was shuttled to cable sibling Bravo after a dismal ratings performance. Zwick and Herskovitz and their Bedford Falls Co. have been more focused on features, with credits including Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond — all directed by the former — as well as Shakespeare in Love (for which Zwick won an Oscar for producing) and Love & Other Drugs.
“Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz are inspired filmmakers whose groundbreaking work revolutionized television drama,” Lionsgate Television Group chairman Kevin Beggs said. “They are brilliant storytellers with a track record of creating compelling and memorable scripted shows, and we’re excited about exploring new creative opportunities together as we continue to expand our Lionsgate TV brand across multiple platforms.”
Added Herskovitz and Zwick: “There’s a revolution in television right now, and Lionsgate is helping to lead the way. Its emphasis on innovation and artistic vision makes it the perfect home for the kind of personal and passionate filmmaking we’ve always pursued. We’re thrilled to be here.”
Herskovitz and Zwick join Clyde Phillips (Dexter, AMC’s upcoming Broke), Dee Johnson (ABC’s Nashville), Jenji Kohan (Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black) and Matt Weiner (Mad Men) with overalls at Lionsgate.
