Film producer Dan Lin is forming a television division with his company Lin Pictures through a deal with Warner Bros. Television, Deadline is reporting. Lin has signed television development executive/producer Jennifer Gwartz to run the new division, which is aiming to develop drama and comedy series. The shows are expected to include the aspirational, uplifting stories that are often included in Lin’s projects.
Lin first worked on television projects last season, as he signed a first-look deal with Warner Bros. TV. Through the arrangement, which was an extension on his Warner Bros. feature production deal, he sold three projects-‘Poe,’ written by Chris Hollier and ‘Tech,’ written by Rina Mimoun, to ABC; and ‘Mavericks,’ written by Gary Scott Thompson, to FOX. Only ‘Poe’ went to pilot, however.
Gwartz, who has worked on such films as ‘Scream,’ ‘Lethal Weapon 4’ and ‘The Matrix,’ will work closely with Lin on the development team. She’s best known for her frequent collaborations with Rob Thomas; she most recently worked with him as an executive producer on his FOX comedy pilot ‘Little In Common,’ which is a strong contender for a mid-season pickup. She also worked as an executive producer on Thomas’ shows ‘Party Down,’ ‘Cupid’ and ‘Veronica Mars,’ which she helped develop.
Written by: Karen Benardello