Molly Smith Metzler is expanding her relationship with Netflix.
The Maid creator has signed a multiple-year overall deal with the streaming giant and will create more socially conscious originals that feature empowering roles for women on both sides of the camera.
The news arrives as Maid, which was produced by Warner Bros. Television as part of exec producer John Wells’ overall deal with the studio, continues to perform well for Netflix. The limited series, which launched Oct. 1, continues to rank in the top 10 with 469 million hours viewed within its first 28 days, per Netflix.
“I’m so thrilled to join the Netflix family after what’s already been a joyful and fulfilling partnership with [vp drama development] Jinny Howe, who gave this playwright the opportunity to create Maid,” Metzler said. “From day one, my collaboration with the entire Netflix team has been open, creative and wildly supportive. I’m honored to call Netflix my home and very excited to keep this party going!”
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Metzler adapted Maid from Stephanie Land’s memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. The series starring Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson and Andie MacDowell currently has a 94 percent and 88 percent rating among critics and viewers, respectively, on aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.
Maid was the first original that was produced by Wells for Netflix after the longtime Warner Bros. TV-based showrunner’s Showtime adaptation of Shameless became a hit for the streamer. The dramedy that starred William H. Macy ranked as one of the service’s most watched acquired titles.
Metzler, a Juilliard grad, worked with Wells on Shameless and Maid and previously wrote for Netflix’s Lionsgate-produced Orange Is the New Black. She’s repped by CAA, Grandview and McKuin Frankel.
“I’m honored to have worked closely with Molly over the years. As evidenced by her tremendous work on Maid, she is a creative force and a gifted storyteller who knows how to be both profound and entertaining,” said Howe. “Bringing Maid to the screen was such a special collaboration — we’re proud of how well it resonated culturally, and look forward to Molly creating more of these impactful stories to come.”
Metzler joins a rapidly growing roster of writers/showrunners with overall deals at Netflix that includes Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes and the Duffer brothers, to name a few, as the streamer continues to make owning its original programming a top priority.
