Melissa Leo, Paul Feig Set Projects at Fox
By Joe Otterson
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Fox Entertainment has set up a pair of projects with Lionsgate and BBC Studio — one drama and one comedy.
Oscar winner Melissa Leo will star in the drama project, “Silent Witness,” which has received a script commitment with a penalty attached at the broadcaster.
Based on the BBC format, “Silent Witness” follows two determined women with conflicting methodologies and their team while working for the Chief Medical Examiner in the shadow of a major departmental scandal involving corruption at the highest levels. With external biased pressures from all sides, they must use their scientific expertise to unravel clues in mysterious deaths while maintaining complete independence.
Leo will executive produce in addition to starring. Joy Blake will write and executive produce. Kim and Eric Tannenbaum of The Tannenbaum Company will also executive produce along with Angie Stephenson of BBC Studios. Jason Wang of The Tannenbaum Company will co-executive produce.
The comedy project, “This Country,” has received a put pilot commitment. Jenny Bicks will write and executive produce with Paul Feig attached to direct and executive produce. Both are currently under overall deals with Lionsgate Television.
The series is a half-hour mockumentary in which a documentary crew goes to a small town to study young adults and their current concerns. Their focus is the daily lives of cousins Kelly and Shrub Mallet and their idiosyncratic surroundings.
Stephenson will also executive produce this project along with Charlie Cooper and Daisy May Cooper, creators of the original BBC series. Dan Magnate of Feigco Entertainment will co-executive produce. Cathy Mason and Rachel Mason will produce.
These mark the third and fourth projects that Lionsgate and have sold to the broadcast networks this year as part of their new partnership. They have also set up “Home” at NBC and “Ghosts” at CBS.
Blake is repped by The Nacelle Company and Hansen Jacobson. Leo is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment. The Tannenbaum Company is repped by CAA and Del Shaw Moonves. Bicks is repped by Hansen Jacobsen. Feig is repped by CAA and Sloane Offer.
