Shonda Rhimes Scott Foley - H 2014
AP ImagesScott Foley is expanding his relationship with Shondaland.
The Scandal star and Grey’s Anatomy alum is teaming with Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers for a comedy set up at ABC, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
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ABC has handed out a script commitment for To Max & Paige, a comedy that takes place over the course of Max and Paige’s wedding rehearsal dinner. The comedy is in the vein of the final season of How I Met Your Mother and follows their eclectic family and friends giving toasts and recalling anecdotes about the couple. But flashbacks reveal the toasts don’t always get it right as viewers will watch the true story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage.
Foley, who plays Olivia’s (Kerry Washington) love interest Jake Ballard on Scandal, will pen the script and executive produce alongside Shondaland’s Rhimes, Beers and actor-producer Greg Grunberg. The comedy hails from ABC Studios, where Shondaland is under a rich overall deal. This marks Shondaland’s second sale this development season. The company also has drama Protect & Survive set up at ABC.
See more The Couples of Shondaland: ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘Private Practice,’ ‘Scandal’
For Foley, the sale comes after his feature film writing and directing debut, Let’s Kill Ward’s Wife. A release date has not yet been determined.
Foley is repped by ICM Partners, Brillstein Entertainment and Sloane Offer. Shondaland is with ICM; Grunberg is with Paradigm, SC Management and attorney Karl Austen.
To Max & Paige marks Shondaland’s latest foray into comedy, which remains a priority for the company after Thursday night dramas Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and rookie How to Get Away With Murder. This is the third year that Shondaland has developed comedy. Last year, Shondaland teamed with Scandal Emmy winner Dan Bucatinsky to adapt his book Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight as an hourlong dramedy called Show & Tell. The company last year developed a comedy from Cougar Town producers and had a half-hour called I Hate L.A. Dudes the year before.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
