‘Catastrophe’ Creator Sharon Horgan Cuts Exclusive First-Look Deal With Apple

By Stewart Clarke

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – “Catastrophe” creator Sharon Horgan is getting into business with Apple. The actor and writer has inked an exclusive first-look deal with the company, which replaces one she previously had with Amazon and which has lapsed.

Horgan is in demand, having been behind “Catastrophe” and “Divorce,” among other shows. She also starred in “Catastrophe” with Rob Delaney, and her on-screen credits include “How to Build a Girl,” “Army Wives,” and “ Women on the Verge .” She will be in the upcoming film adaptation of “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.”

Multi-hyphenate Horgan also has a BAFTA Award-winning production company, Merman, which she runs with Clelia Mountford. The firm recently inked a development deal with Sky’s new content unit, Sky Studios. That agreement sits outside of the first-look deal. ’s shows include “Motherland,” a comedy series about a fraught mum and her social circle, which has fared well on the BBC in the U.K. It plays on Sundance Now in the U.S.

Horgan’s exec-producing credits include Aisling Bea’s Channel 4 drama, “This Way Up,” and Sarah Kendall’s Sky U.K. and ABC Australia series, “Frayed.” She will also be behind the camera for her feature directorial debut, “The New World,” for Focus Features.

“I love it. It’s scary because there’s nowhere to hide,” Horgan told Variety about directing earlier this year. “You have to trust your decision-making process.”

The earlier overall deal at , which has U.S. rights to “Catastrophe,” was announced in early 2018.

For Apple, the pact with Horgan is a statement of intent as its first major agreement with name talent in Europe, where former Channel 4 exec Jay Hunt is leading the charge. The U.S. company confirmed the deal with Horgan. The news was first reported by Deadline.