1 month ago
Ford v. Ferrari scribe and The Agency and MobLand series EP, Jez Butterworth, has closed an wide five-year woody pinch Universal Entertainment crossed TV, streaming and film.
The caller pact commences connected January 2027 aft Butterworth’s existent woody pinch Paramount wraps up astatine nan extremity of nan year.
On nan characteristic side, Butterworth will beryllium moving pinch nan Universal Pictures squad led by President Peter Cramer. On nan tv side, Jez will beryllium progressive pinch Universal Studio Group, which operates nether Pearlena Igbokwe, Chairman, Television Studios, NBC Entertainment & Peacock Scripted. USG continues to support NBCUniversal’s soul platforms, while besides serving third-party buyers.
The news of Butterworth’s woody astatine Universal follows that of 101 Studios’ accumulation pact which was besides antecedently astatine Paramount. Both 101 Studios and Butterworth nutrient nan Paramount+ deed bid MobLand. 101 Studios’ woody was announced successful November. Former Paramount co-CEO Chris McCarthy besides has a shaper woody pinch Universal to thief wrangle nan studio’s caller movie and TV pact pinch Taylor Sheridan, nan TV information of which transitions to NBCUniversal successful 2029. Both 101 Studios and McCarthy’s woody commence successful 2026. MobLand stars Pierce Brosnan, Tom Hardy and Helen Mirren. At nan clip of its debut successful March 2025, MobLand became nan streamer’s biggest world bid motorboat ever, pinch 2.2 cardinal viewers for its first episode.
“Jez Butterworth is simply a versatile creator whose storytelling has a measurement of getting nether your skin. Whether it’s connected shape aliases screen, his chopped sound is astonishing and aggravated but ever profoundly human,” said NBCUniversal Entertainment Chairman Donna Langley.
“Having nan opportunity to activity crossed nan full Universal Entertainment ecosystem will supply aggregate introduction points for Jez to make a lasting effect astatine nan Studio.”
Added Butterworth, “I couldn’t beryllium much thrilled and honored to subordinate Donna and nan squad astatine Universal. I consciousness fortunate to proceed my unthinkable business pinch 101 Studios and Chris [McCarthy] while I embark connected this caller adventure.”
Other characteristic penning credits for Butterworth see specified tentpoles arsenic Edge of Tomorrow, Spectre, Indiana Jones and nan Dial of Destiny, Black Mass and Universal’s own Get On Up. His debut play, Mojo, won 7 awesome awards, including nan Olivier Award for Best Comedy. Butterworth’s theatrical productions include The Night Heron, The Winterling, Parlour Song, Jerusalem, The River and The Ferryman, which was nominated for 9 Tony Awards and winning four, including Best Play. His latest work, The Hills of California, was critically acclaimed connected Broadway and successful nan West End. He besides received nan E.M. Forster Award successful 2007 and became a Fellow of nan Royal Society of Literature successful 2019.
Butterworth is represented by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner Auerbach Hynick Jaime LeVine Sample & Klein.
