‘Annabelle,’ ‘IT’ Screenwriter Gary Dauberman Inks First-Look Deal at UCP

By Joe Otterson

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Gary Dauberman has signed a first-look television deal with Universal Content Productions (), the studio announced Tuesday. Under the deal, Dauberman will write and produce scripted projects across all platforms. He will also launch his own production company, Coin Operated.

Dauberman is known for his work on the screenplay for the new film version of “IT” and its sequel, with Dauberman also serving as executive producer on “IT: Chapter Two.” He is also known for his work writing for “The Conjuring” film franchise, having penned the scripts for “Annabelle,” “Annabelle: Creation,” and “Annabelle Comes Home,” with Dauberman making his directorial debut on the final film. “It: Chapter Two” and “Annabelle Comes Home” were the highest-grossing horror movies of 2019. On the television side, Dauberman and Mark Verheiden co-created the DC Universe series “Swamp Thing.”

He is repped by ICM for producing and directing, Industry Entertainment, and Felker Toczek.

Dauberman is the latest addition to UCP’s current lineup of first-look deals, with others including John Carpenter, Emmy Rossum, and Steve Piet and Erik Crary. UCP also has overall deals with Sam Esmail, Nick Antosca, and Patrick Macmanus.

UCP is now part of NBCUniversal Content Studios, the new unit of NBCUniversal  under Bonnie Hammer . UCP has projects across a number of networks and streaming services, including multiple projects for Peacock, the ad-supported NBCU streaming service that will begin rolling out later this year. Those projects include a series adaptation of “Brave New World, a “Battlestar Galactica” reboot from Esmail, and the series “Angelyne” starring Rossum.