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MUMBAI: Fox Television Studios (FtvS) will serve as the entertainment
studio for HarperCollins Publishers, developing original content
based on its existing library, as well as new HarperCollins titles
– initially in the mystery and romance categories.
Content will be developed and distributed across multiple platforms
worldwide, including television, DVD, and digital media including
internet, mobile/wireless and emerging applications. The announcement
was made by Fox Television Studios president Angela Shapiro-Mathes.
The first deal resulting from the partnership is for TV series development
based on the popular legal suspense novels by international best-selling
author Lisa Scottoline, which center around a group of female partners
in the fictional, Rosato law firm.
Scottoline’s first novel in this nine-volume series of thrillers,
Legal Tender, was published by HarperCollins in 1997. To
date, she has written 13 novels. Scottoline presently has 10 million
copies in print in the US and is published in 23 countries.
Additionally, Fox Television Studios has optioned The Reading
Group by Elizabeth Noble. Her novel chronicles a year in the
life of a group of women who form a book club, only to see their
own personal stories, trials and tribulations mirrored in the literary
works they discuss.
"I’m thrilled to be working with HarperCollins in a venture
that connects our two worlds in this way. This collaboration gives
us unprecedented access to an untapped resource of talented writers
– new voices for the TV and digital space. It also allows FtvS
to pursue publishing opportunities for the original programming
we develop and produce,” said Shapiro-Mathes.
To facilitate projects and serve as liaison between FtvS and HarperCollins,
Fox TV Studios has retained veteran television producer Karen Glass
to work out of HarperCollins’ New York City offices. An experienced
executive producer, show-runner and development executive, Glass
has developed numerous award-winning shows for broadcast, cable
and syndication.
HarperCollins president and CEO Worldwide Jane Friedman said, "This
is a unique partnership that offers endless possibilities. We will
now have a professional eye to evaluate our incredible publishing
lists – both new titles and our unparalleled backlist –
to discover books that are worthy of dramatic portrayal. This is
another example of HarperCollins’ continuing effort to create
additional opportunities for our authors by introducing them to
new audiences."
Fox Television Studios executive vice president, scripted programming
David Madden added, "We are delighted to be working with such
a wonderful stable of talented authors. And it's especially thrilling
to get a chance to be in business with Lisa Scottoline. The admirers
of her work are worldwide and extremely devoted, and we look forward
to developing her ‘Rosato law firm’ novels for screens
everywhere, from living rooms to mobile phones and anyplace where
thriller fans can watch Lisa's characters come to life."
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