Weinstein Co. Enters First-Look Deal With Gannett

[reaper]

Gannett Co. and the Weinstein Co. are partnering on a first-look development deal aimed at creating film and TV projects based on news and feature stories covered by the media giant’s periodicals and TV news outlets.

The joint announcement was made Wednesday at the Gannett Upfront in New York by Maryam Banikarim of Gannett and Meryl Poster, president of TV at TWC.

The deal calls for Gannett and TWC to retain a development executive to lead the venture, described as a development pipeline for both scripted and non-scripted fare. TWC will distribute all titles that move forward.

“The Weinstein Co. has been turning local stories into national conversations to critical acclaim for years,” Banikaram said. “Gannett is thrilled to share the great content from our award-winning editorial teams and work with the Weinstein Co. to develop these stories into what could be the next blockbuster.”

“In addition to being a great producer and distributor, the Weinstein Co. is also an innovative marketer, and together we will bring new content partnerships as well as branded entertainment opportunities to our advertisers.”

David Glasser, TWC’s chief operating officer and president, said in a statement, “This groundbreaking venture with Gannett will allow us to discover and explore rich new storylines and narratives for a wide array of audiences.”

Gannett’s best known as the publisher of USA Today and is the largest publisher of U.S. newspapers. It also owns 43 TV stations.

TWC’s TV productions include “Project Runway,” “Mob Wives,” “Million Dollar Shoppers,” “Rodeo Girls” and “Trailer Park: Welcome to Myrtle Manor.” Its most notable recent films include “Silver Linings Playbook,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” and “August: Osage County.”