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EXCLUSIVE: As he marks his 40th day astatine Warner Bros. Television this year, Emmy-winning TV shaper John Wells has signed a caller wide woody hold pinch nan studio. He has 3 on-air series, including The Pitt, the apical existent play connected WBTV’s roster — and arguably connected each of television.
Under nan pact, Wells will stay based astatine WBTV wherever nan seasoned writer-producer-director has been moving for virtually his full TV profession to date, since landing a communicative editor occupation location successful 1986. Wells will proceed to create original bid for nan workplace done his John Wells Productions for each platforms, including Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO and HBO Max, outer streaming services and nan U.S. broadcast networks.
Terms of nan woody person not been disclosed but according to sources, nan three-year hold starts adjacent twelvemonth and goes done mid-2030. Its size is believed to beryllium comparable to nan existent three-year hold that followed nan five-year, nine-figure wide pact Wells signed pinch WBTV successful 2019.
Warner Bros. Television stepping up ahead of clip to unafraid its longest-tenured shaper — who is besides among its astir prolific and dressed up — is important arsenic it comes during a play of uncertainly for nan workplace whose genitor institution Warner Bros. Discovery is successful nan process of being acquired by nan David Ellison-led Paramount.
Faced pinch nan dilemma of making a semipermanent committedness erstwhile things are successful flux, Quinta Brunson, creator of 1 of WBTV’s biggest existent drama hits, Abbott Elementary, moved to Disney’s 20th Television erstwhile her wide woody was up earlier this summer.
Over his 4 decades, Wells has executive produced a slew of successful and acclaimed WBTV series, including ER, The West Wing, Southland, Shameless, Third Watch and Animal Kingdom, which person earned complete 300 Emmy nominations, 70 Emmy wins and 7 Peabody Awards.
Wells precocious helped reinvent nan broadcast exemplary for nan streaming era pinch nan HBO Max aesculapian play The Pitt, which blends network-style yearly merchandise pattern, ample bid (15 episode) and a humble fund pinch streaming-style storytelling.
His woody renewal comes amid nan occurrence of The Pitt, which he executive produces alongside chap ER alums R. Scott Gemmill and prima Noah Wyle. It is simply a large deed for HBO Max that continues to turn — nan astir caller 2nd play classed arsenic nan astir watched bid of immoderate benignant connected nan streamer this year, pinch viewership each week outpacing nan first season.
The Pitt besides is nan astir heralded existent play connected TV, a reigning Outstanding Drama Series Emmy winner, which leads each programs astatine nan 2026 Emmy nominations pinch 25, including Drama Series.
Wells besides executive produces 2 WBTV bid for Netflix. Untamed starring Eric Bana, whose breakout occurrence arsenic a constricted bid led to its renewal for a 2nd season, precocious wrapped production. The upcoming Unaccustomed Earth, an adjustment of Jhumpa Lahiri’s short communicative postulation connected which Wells serves arsenic showrunner, it is group to debut later this year.
“John Wells is an iconic storyteller whose activity continues to time off an indelible people connected our culture,” said Channing Dungey, Chairman and CEO, Warner Bros.Television Group and WBD US Networks. “He is 1 of nan astir respected and accomplished imaginative talents successful our manufacture and we are immensely proud that he has called Warner Bros. location for 40 years. We look guardant to continuing to support his imaginative endeavors for years to come.”
Wells is repped by CAA and Hansen Jacobson Teller.
