2 months ago
EXCLUSIVE: Lion Forge Entertainment has acquired authorities to Kimberly Ann Harrison’s acclaimed debut caller Beyond nan Paddock and will make a YA TV bid pinch nan author, showrunner and executive producer.
Harrison, whose database of credits see FRIENDS, Criminal Minds, STAR, Deputy, All Rise, Law and Order Organized Crime, Disney’s The Crossover and astir precocious Washington Black for Hulu, will accommodate Beyond nan Paddock for tv and service arsenic nan bid showrunner. Lion Forge Entertainment laminitis and CEO David Steward II and President and Chief Creative Office Stephanie Sperber will nutrient nan bid for nan studio.
Beyond nan Paddock is simply a YA coming-of-age story, pursuing nan lives of 2 teenagers from nan Los Angeles foster attraction strategy who are forced to relocate to Lexington Kentucky into nan elite world of equestrian competitory riding and jumping. The storycenters connected brothers Julian and Cameron, adrenaline junkies who move their emotion for thoroughfare racing into a passion for competitory equine riding, group amidst a world afloat of privilege that they person ne'er known before. Throughout nan book, they study each has a unsocial talent, making friends, enemies and uncovering relationship on nan way.
Harrison was inspired to constitute nan caller aft watching her sons thrust astatine nan Los Angeles Equestrian Center, wherever they compete successful English equestrian showjumping.
“When I first publication Beyond nan Paddock, it deed adjacent to location for me,” said David Steward II. “My boy rides, and complete nan years, nan equestrian world has go a large portion of our family’s life. We’ve spent countless hours astir barns, competitions and that unthinkable community, truthful I instantly recognized really authentic Kimberly’s communicative feels. What she’s written isn’t conscionable astir nan sport. It’s astir belonging, discipline, and young group discovering who they are. That’s what made america autumn successful emotion pinch this task and why we’re truthful excited to bring it to television.”
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Harrison won an International Impact grant for Beyond nan Paddock and has a successful way grounds adapting novels. She served arsenic Co-Showrunner and Executive Producer connected nan tv adjustment of nan acclaimed caller Washington Black for Hulu, wherever she helped style nan story’s modulation from page to screen.
“From nan infinitesimal we publication nan novel, we saw unthinkable imaginable for a bid that feels some grounded and aspirational,” said Stephanie Sperber. “The communicative captures nan thrill of discovering a passion while navigating nan complexities of increasing up, nan find of an wholly caller culture, first loves, victories and defeats, and Kimberly’s sound brings authenticity and affectional extent to these characters.”
“Being capable to stock an equestrian communicative from specified a unsocial position is some fulfilling and empowering for truthful galore people,” said Harrison. “I’m grateful to beryllium partnering pinch Lion Forge to bring this heartfelt communicative to life. Their squad has been incredibly collaborative and genuinely aligned pinch nan imagination I group retired to execute pinch this project.”
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Founded by David Steward II, Lion Forge Entertainment focuses connected world IP that is some authentic and appealing to a wide audience. The institution develops and produces animated and live-action contented targeting kids & family, YA and big audiences. Most recently, nan studio’s epic animated imagination bid Iyanu was a breakout cross-platform occurrence connected HBO Max and Cartoon Network past twelvemonth and will debut play 2 this spring.
The studio’s pipeline has surged successful nan past year. A highly progressive 12-month play for Lion Forge Entertainment saw nan institution subordinate forces pinch George R. R. Martin (Game of Thrones) to accommodate nan novella A Dozen Tough Jobs into an big animated characteristic film; group a business pinch TalesVision to grow their short-form YouTube sensation, Lostlings, into a premium long-form series; executive nutrient 2 movies – nan drama Jacob Beats Up Nate and A Dog’s Perfect Christmas for Netflix; group a first of-its-kind strategical business pinch Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts); and collaborated pinch Rebel Girls to create contented astir Rebel Girls Sports successful nan unscripted space. Additional strategical partnerships for Lion Forge Entertainment see an confederation pinch Penguin Young Readers, a section of Penguin Random House, to create bid and features based connected prime children’s books.
Harrison is represented by CAA and Yorn Levine Barnes Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner Endlich & Gellman. Lion Forge Entertainment is represented by Activist Artists Management.
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