EXCLUSIVE: Wednesday And Elvis Producer Gail Berman, founder and CEO of The Jackal Group, has signed a three-year deal with Sony Pictures Television. Under the agreement, which went into effect today, the industry veteran will develop and produce scripted series for cable and streaming platforms.
Berman, an Oscar, Emmy and Tony-nominated producer and the only woman to hold top positions at both a major film studio and a television network, will receive the Norman Lear Achievement Award in Television at the 2024 PGA Awards.
“We are thrilled to partner with Gail,” said Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios. “Gail is not only a true legend, but also a brilliant producer and creative force who always completes her work with unwavering grace.”
For Berman, who has spent much of her career as an independent producer, joining forces with an independent television studio is a natural next step. Right after college, she first worked in theater and then ran television production companies like Buffy the Vampire Slayer Manufacturer Sandollar TV and Malcom in the middle Studio Regency Television and co-founder of BermanBraun before founding The Jackal Group.
“Sony holds so many truths for me – great people, exceptional content and an amazing legacy with a commitment to history and creativity. I feel really empowered to find my new home here,” Berman said. “But the magic key is Katherine and her team. We will create spectacular and resonant content together.”
Through The Jackal Group, whose programming includes scripted and scripted television, feature films and commercial theater, Berman has produced projects including reality series Tidying up with Marie Kondo for Netflix; The Addams Family 2019 animated feature film and its sequel, The Addams Family 2, for MGM; the Tim Burton-directed live-action spinoff series, Wednesday, considered Netflix’s most popular English-language series of all time; and Baz Luhrmann’s music film Elvis for Warner Brothers, which received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
Im adding to Wednesdaywhich is currently filming its second season, includes the animated comedy directed by Jon Hamm Grimsburg, which has been picked up by Fox for a second season, and the upcoming adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling novel The perfect couple with Nicole Kidman for Netflix.
Projects in development at Jackal include: Rentaghosta Warner Brothers animated film, two Addams animated films and Before the coffee gets coldbased on the bestselling Japanese time travel novel.
Berman was named president of Paramount Pictures in March 2005. She moved to this position after serving as president of entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Company from 2000 to 2005, overseeing the network’s rise to the top of the ratings with primetime contributions American Idol, 24, House, And Arrested development. She served as president of the Producers Guild of America from 2018 to 2022.