Tag Archives: Jonnie Davis

Eugenio Derbez’s 3Pas Studios Signs Multi-Year First-Look Deal with ABC Signature for English TV Content

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Eugenio Derbez is hoping to develop new television projects in English…

The 61-year-old Mexican actor and comedian’s 3Pas Studios, which he runs will Ben Odell, has signed a multi-year first-look deal with ABC Signature for English-language television content.

Eugenio DerbezAs part of the deal, 3Pas will develop and produce English-language projects for the studio.

Reporting to Derbez and Odell, Sonia Gambaro, the vice president of 3Pas’ English-language television division, will oversee development, identify and source talent, ideas, and IP for ABC Signature across all platforms.

“Eugenio and Ben transcend culture through their diverse and inclusive storytelling, driven by their deep connection to talent and source material from Latin America,” said Jonnie Davis, president of ABC Signature. “We couldn’t be more excited to shepherd their next wave of brilliant and culture-defining English language projects at the studio.”

3Pas has been creating content in both English and Spanish with multiple studio and platform partners over the last several years.

Most recently, the company’s series Acapulco premiered its second season on Apple TV+. It stemmed from the television deal 3Pas previously had at Lionsgate.

On the film front, Hulu recently released 3Pas’ film The Valet following the success of other Derbez-led projects including Overboard and How To Be A Latin Lover.

Derbez’s workplace comedy series titled They Came At Night is in development at Vix+, a project that stems from 3Pas’ deal with TelevisaUnivision for Spanish-language film and TV projects.

Additionally, they recently premiered their first Vix+ series, La Noche Del Diablito which premiered on October 13.

3Pas also recently re-upped its first-look film deal with Lionsgate.

“For actors, writers, directors, and creators like myself, Disney has long been a leader in inclusive and diverse storytelling.  We are so grateful for this incredible opportunity to lift up new, diverse voices with ABC Signature,” said Derbez.

Added Odell, “At the heart of our stories we bring people together and celebrate our common humanity.  We have a treasure trove of incredibly diverse stories, talent, and creators across the United States and Latin America. We can’t wait to start the party with ABC Signature and their fantastic team.”

Matt Lopez Signs Multi-Year Overall Deal with ABC Signature

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Matt Lopez has an exciting new deal…

The Latino screenwriter, the creator/executive producer of ABC’s Promised Land, has signed a multi-year overall deal with ABC Signature, the studio behind the upcoming multigenerational Latinx family drama.

Matt Lopez

ABC Signature is part of Disney Television Studios.

Lopez’s Promised Land is an epic, generation-spanning drama about the Sandovals, a Latinx family vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley, premiering on January 24, 2022, on ABC.

The series’ all-Latinx cast (including John Ortiz and Christina Ochoa) and majority Latinx crew are filled with people whose stories resemble the Sandoval family.

“‘La familia’ is how the cast and crew of Promised Land refer to each other, and it’s how I think of Jonnie Davis, Tracy Underwood, and their amazing team — as my creative family, said Lopez in a statement to Deadline. “The courage and integrity they have shown in supporting this show make it clear that ABC Signature is committed to telling compelling stories in fresh and exciting ways, and it’s where I want to continue to work and create for years to come.”

Added Davis, President of ABC Signature, “Matt Lopez is homegrown Disney talent, who has worked on the feature side for years. His upcoming Promised Land is a love letter to his family, especially his Cuban grandfather. When he shared this personal story with us and our friends at ABC, we all knew this had to be a television series, and we believe it will be the first of many from this unique and talented writer.”

Lopez’s other recent projects include the upcoming feature film Father of the Bride, a reboot of the classic film franchise, for Warner Bros. and Plan B starring Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan; the family comedy Alexander, for Disney + with 21 Laps and Henson Co; and Wraith, a horror-thriller for Netflix.  Matt created and executive produced the television series Gone.

His additional writing credits for the big screen include The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Race to Witch Mountain, and Bedtime Stories.

Lopez segued into writing and producing through the Disney Writers Program after a career as an attorney and business affairs executive for DreamWorks.

Escajeda Signs Two-Year Overall Deal with 20th Century Fox Television Studios

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Ingrid Escajeda has found a new Empire…

The Latina television producer/writer, a former supervising producer on FX’s Justified, has sealed a two-year overall deal at 20th Century Fox Television Studios.

Ingrid Escajeda

Escajeda will develop and supervise projects for the studio, with her first assignment being a co-executive producer role on Fox’s hit primetime soap Empire.

Escajeda, whose pilot script about the LAPD bomb squad got the attention of Justified executive producer Graham Yost and led to a four-season stint on the FX series, recently sold a drama to CBS/20th Century Fox Television Studios that kick-started her deal with the studio.

Her first network sale is set in a suburban Texas county where the cold-blooded assassination of the district attorney means the ascension of Gaby Ortiz, a formidable young prosecutor. Under assault by the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, narco cartels and rampant corruption, she must resurrect the county’s crumbling law enforcement effort, with little more than her defiant will and the support of her extraordinary extended family. Escajeda is writing the script and executive producing with Jonathan Levin.

“We’re always on the lookout for the boldest, most original voices, and we had a great development experience with Ingrid earlier this year that convinced us we wanted to be in business with her exclusively,” said Jonnie Davis, the studio’s president of creative affairs. “We introduced her to [Empire executive producer/showrunner] Ilene [Chaikin] and they hit it off immediately, so this deal both helps make sure Empire has the best resources to continue to thrive creatively and allows Ingrid to develop her own projects down the road.”