Greg Berlanti signs a new mega deal with the television group Warner Bros

Warner Bros. keep their most prolific TV producer of the last decade in the group. Greg Berlanti has signed a major new four-year exclusive deal for his Berlanti Productions to stay in the studio for his television venture through 2027.

No financial terms are being disclosed, but sources indicate the deal is structured differently than Berlanti’s recent giant deal with Warner Bros. TV Group, which was valued at more than $300 million and was valued at $400 million over six years. That deal involved the studio buying Berlanti’s backend for its shows, while the new deal is more of a joint venture with huge potential for Berlanti, sources said.

If successful, based on the number of series the new deal brings in and its profitability, it could be the biggest TV deal ever for Warner Bros. It is the first return of top creative talent since the Discovery merger, with the new leadership sending a signal that despite the cost-cutting measures, including a slew of write-offs, that have made headlines over the past nine months, they are willing to going the extra mile to keep the biggest names on their talent roster.

“Greg is an enormous talent and the impact his prolific and powerful storytelling has had on Warner Bros. and audiences and our culture is simply ‘wow,'” said David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery. “He started his career with us and we are incredibly happy that he will continue to build and expand our TV studio in the future.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Berlanti Productions, in which Berlanti works with longtime collaborator Sarah Schechter, will continue to develop new television programs produced by divisions of Warner Bros. TV Group for all platforms, including WBD’s HBO Max. , third party streaming services, cable and the broadcast networks.

Just like last time, when Berlanti returned to Warner Bros. TV Group, the new deal came quickly as his previous deal still lasted about two years as Berlanti’s new agents at CAA worked through the holidays and Channing Dungey finalized the deal for the studio. said sources.

However, the circumstances are very different.

Five years ago, Berlanti announced his intention to join Warner Bros. joining TV, led by one of its biggest champions at the time, Peter Roth, who hired him two decades ago for a four-year stint at WBTV, where Berlanti created his first series. . Everwood, and then lured him back to the studio in 2011. Since then, Berlanti has been with Warner Bros. TV and expanded its presence to break the record for a TV producer with the most concurrent programs on multiple occasions, including 20 programs on air or in production during the 2019-22 season. airs five nights a week across six different networks and streamers. Berlanti Productions currently has over 15 shows on air or on tap.

Meanwhile, the past year has seen a major upheaval in Berlanti Productions’ television business, spurred by sweeping changes at Warner Bros., DC and CW. Post-discovery mergers and executive shakeups occurred across all Warner Bros. businesses, including television studio HBO Max and DC, whose intellectual property dominated a significant portion of Berlanti’s television portfolio. In addition, Paramount Global owns Warner Bros. and CBS the majority of their 50 percent stakes in the CW, which aired most of Berlanti Productions’ series, leaving the future of original scripted programming on that network in limbo. (While questions about the fate of the CW mountain have been raised over the past year, Berlanti Prods. has been expanding its HBO Max portfolio, where the company has become a top seller of series.)

With so much uncertainty, many wondered if Berlanti would stay or choose a new television company. (In feature films, Berlanti/Schechter Films has an exclusive first-look deal with Netflix, which runs for an additional two years.) Speculation about its future continued to mount a few weeks ago when Berlanti made a rare agency change and his longtime time representative left WME for CAA, where his team is led by heavyweights Bryan Lourd and Joe Cohen. Sources say WME has been in talks with Warner Bros. TV Group about renewing Berlanti’s previous contract before he left. Then he made a new deal with his new agents.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with one of the most talented, celebrated and compelling storytellers in the industry,” Warner Bros. said. Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Television Group, said: “Greg is a visionary, a pioneer and a trailblazer. leader, but beyond that he is a valued member of the Warner Bros. family. To join Greg is an enormous privilege and we can’t wait to see what stories he and his team will bring to life for years to come.”

Warner Bros. Television president Brett Paul worked on the deal with Dungey, a studio veteran and the only member of the WBD/WBTV executive team who was also involved in Berlanti’s previous deal.

A WGA, DGA, PGA and Emmy nominated writer, director and producer, Berlanti began his television career as a staff writer for Dawson’s Creek and became executive producer and showrunner of the series after just a year on the job. That first appearance marked the beginning of a meteoric rise in the career of Berlanti, who has produced or created more than 40 shows totaling more than 1,300 hours of television over the past 20 years..

“Every day I wake up grateful to be able to share stories with so many talented people that I love to make a living. With this agreement, I am happy to enter my third decade as a television producer, and Warner Bros. will call my house,” Berlanti said. “The TV business has changed and so has Warner Bros., but I’m as grateful as ever to be doing television and with a passionate, brilliant and kind leader like Channing Dungey and with a wise and wonderful old friend like Brett to work. Paul. In the time I’ve known David Zaslav, he’s that rarest of Hollywood leaders: honest, loyal and visionary about the kind of thriving Warner Bros. he wants to build for the future, where storytellers like me have a home to tell stories that will engage and move audiences around the world for years to come.”

Berlanti Productions The stewardess received a dozen Emmy nominations. Season 3 of YOU, co-created by Berlanti, spent three consecutive weeks in Netflix’s number one spot. Numerous series by Berlanti Productions such as All Americans and All American: Come home has been in the Netflix top 10 for over 15 weeks.

Berlanti was the architect of the DC on CW live-action television universe featuring major comic book characters such as The Flash, Superman, Green Arrow, Supergirl and Batwoman, spanning a total run of 38 seasons (counting trends). In addition, Berlanti started a second DC universe titans Doom Patrol, and DCs star girl, and is ready to start the upcoming new series Dead boy detectives for both HBO Max and Gotham Knight this year on the CW.

Upcoming TV series are also included Got it also for ABC More and The girls on the bus for HBO Max. Along with Berlanti and Schechter, President Leigh London Redman joins the leadership of Berlanti Productions.

Throughout his career, Berlanti has been a leader and voice for inclusion in the entertainment industry, both on screen and behind the camera. In 2022, he received the PGA’s Norman Lear Achievement Award for his career achievements and influence on the art and craft of television.

Berlanti, who is currently directing the film Project Artemis for Apple, starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, is represented by CAA and attorney Patti Felker.