Netflix nets TV hitmaker Shonda Rhimes for new shows
NETFLIX has already punched back against Disney’s plans to pull its content from the streaming platform by 2019 – by luring away one of Disney ABC’s most prolific content creators, Shonda Rhimes.
The company announced last Sunday that it inked a multi-year deal with Rhimes, the writer and producer of award-winning series such as Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy and How To Get Away With Murder. As part of the deal, Rhimes will bring her Los Angeles production company, Shondaland, to Netflix to produce original series and projects. Rhimes’ longtime producing partner Betsy Beers will make the move to Netflix as well.
“Shonda Rhimes is one of the greatest storytellers in the history of television,” Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s chief content officer, said in a statement. “Her work is gripping, inventive, pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, taboo-breaking television at its best. We’re so excited to welcome her to Netflix.”
Shondaland’s current series will continue to air on ABC, and Rhimes said in a statement that her production company “will be there every step of the way.” Her relationship with Disney has spanned more than a decade.
Describing her move to Netflix as an evolution of her company, Rhimes said the streaming service, which in recent years has plunged headfirst into original programming with its own hit series such as House Of Cards and Stranger Things, provides a “clear, fearless space for creators.”
Sarandos “understood what I was looking for – the opportunity to build a vibrant new storytelling home for writers with the unique creative freedom and instantaneous global reach provided by Netflix’s singular sense of innovation,”
Rhimes said.
“The future of Shondaland at
Netflix has limitless possibilities.”
ABC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Netflix, which launched in the 1990s as a DVD rental service, has become the leader in media streaming and video on demand, and in recent years it has gained clout in Hollywood as an entertainment producer in its own right.
With more than 100 million global subscribers, a recommendation algorithm based on years of customer viewing habits and a willingness to throw money at content creators (the company said it plans to spend US$6bil (RM25.7bil) in 2017 on original programming, up from US$1.7bil (RM7.3bil) last year), it also represents a growing threat to Hollywood giants.
Like many firms with tech roots, Netflix’s ambitions have grown beyond merely providing a platform that content creators can use. This ambition has rattled incumbents and created friction in Hollywood. Traditional studios and TV networks are still grappling with audiences’ migration away from cable subscriptions in favor of on-demand video streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, and they lack the agility of their tech-centric counterparts.
Walt Disney Co. was the first major incumbent to strike back against Netflix’s growing dominance, announcing last week that it will launch two of its own video streaming services in 2019: an ESPN service, which is expected to feature 10,000 sporting events annually, and a Disney-branded film and TV offering that will include original content developed by Walt Disney Studios.
When the services launch, Disney will also end its distribution agreement with Netflix for new films, beginning with the 2019 calendar year theatrical slate. Shows born from the relationship between etflix and Disney-owned Marvel TV, such as Jessica Jones, will still be available on Netflix. – Tribune News
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