EXCLUSIVE: Shawn Ryan, whose thriller drama The Evening Agent was essentially the most watched TV sequence of 2023 on Netflix, has signed a giant, four-year general take care of the streamer, sources inform Deadline. The prolific creator, government producer and showrunner landed at Netflix in a aggressive scenario, together with his present studio house, Sony Photos TV, NBCUniversal in addition to Warner Bros. TV amongst those that pursued him, I hear. The pact with Netflix will begin after Ryan’s present general take care of Sony TV expires on the finish of October.
With Ryan’s deal in place, I hear Netflix is continuing with opening a Season 3 writers room for The Evening Agent. The Sony TV-produced sequence has at the moment been picked up by way of Season 2, which ramped up shortly after the strikes to begin manufacturing in early February for a launch later this yr. The writers room for Season 3 — a typical Netflix apply on profitable sequence forward of formal inexperienced mild — opens subsequent month, I hear.
Having Ryan within the fold additionally would enable Netflix to simpler scale up The Evening Agent right into a franchise with potential spinoffs which were rumored because the sequence made a splash with its March 2023 debut, touchdown on the streamer’s Prime 10 Most In style English-Language Sequence record the place Season 1 stays at #6. Netflix has performed franchise enlargement with most sequence on that record, together with Wednesday, Bridgerton, Monster, Stranger Issues and The Witcher, and universe-building is a principal objective for the A-list expertise on its general deal roster.
In a troublesome market for general offers amid general business contraction post-strike, studios and streamers put a premium on showrunners who can juggle a number of sequence, one thing Ryan has performed for many of his profession by way of his MiddKidd manufacturing firm alongside longtime government Marney Hochman who’s making the transfer to Netflix with him.
Ryan’s deal, mentioned to be within the eight-figure vary with beneficiant ensures, was described as “fairly outstanding” within the present financial setting.
Nonetheless, leaving Sony TV reportedly was not a simple name for Ryan as he’s identified for being loyal and staying in a single place for a very long time. He went out to check the waters this spring after 13 years of back-to-back general offers at Sony. He did an identical spherical of studio conferences in 2011 after 12 years at twentieth TV and sibling Fox TV Studios. Having an ongoing relationship with Bela Bajaria and her group at Netflix in addition to the streamer’s international attain helped persuade him to make the leap.
Sony TV stays an energetic general/first-look deal participant, not too long ago signing pacts with Gail Berman, Jessi Klein, Third Rail, Steve Lightfoot and Judalina Neira.
Ryan will stay in enterprise with the indie studio although the extent of his companies is fluid and topic of negotiations, I hear. Along with The Evening Agent, which Ryan created, government produces and serves as showrunner on, he’s co-creator/government producer/co-showrunner on Sony TV’s drama sequence S.W.A.T., which was not too long ago renewed for an eighth season. It’s run by government producer Andrew Dettmann.
There’s additionally American Hostage, a drama awaiting sequence inexperienced mild at MGM+, which has Jon Hamm connected to star. Ryan co-wrote the pilot script with Eileen Myers and is anticipated to stay actively concerned within the first season ought to it get ordered. Moreover, there are a handful of initiatives in several phases of improvement, which he continues to work on.
Ryan’s slate of sequence at Sony TV through the years additionally included Timeless for NBC, Final Resort for ABC and Mad Canine for Amazon. At Fox, he created/government produced his Emmy-winning drama The Defend for FX and government produced CBS’ The Unit. Ryan is repped by CAA, supervisor Larry Shuman at The Shuman Co. and lawyer Gendler, Kelly & Cunningham.