Michael Thorn: Last News

EXCLUSIVE: Krapopolis has scored a third season renewal before a frame of the animated series has been seen by the viewing public.

Last year, Fox’s in-person Upfront event at the Skylight venue in New York surprised ad buyers with a largely pre-recorded video led by then-boss Charlie Collier.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large As networks across the industry pull back on the number of series pilots they order, Fox is taking it one step further: They’ve decided to completely get out of the live-action pilot business. The network launches its only new live-action comedy of the season, “Animal Control,” on Thursday, and Fox Entertainment’s scripted president Michael Thorn says that show’s development is a case study in how series will be ordered moving forward at the network. Instead of a pilot, Fox commissioned multiple scripts in order to test the viability of the sitcom. “Script-to-series,” which has been a staple at several cable networks for years, will now be the standard for Fox as well.

The Resident creator Amy Holden Jones is turning to crime.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Fox Entertainment has sealed a deal with “Life in Pieces” creator Justin Adler to create and develop new comedy series for the network. Under the latest of Fox’s recent string of what it calls “broadcast direct” deals, Adler (whose credits also include “Maggie”) will create series that will be owned by Fox Entertainment and produced by its in-house Fox Entertainment Studios shingle. The Adler deal was announced by Michael Thorn, Fox Entertainment’s president of scripted programming. Thorn previously helped develop “Life in Pieces” (which aired on CBS for four seasons between 2015 and 2019) with Adler, back when Thorn was exec vice president of development at 20th Century Fox TV. Also at 20th at the time was Cheryl Dolins, who’s now Fox Entertainment senior VP of comedy programming and development and who also worked closely with Adler while at the studio.

EXCLUSIVE: Matt Nix, the man behind Fox’s X-Men series The Gifted, is going direct with the broadcast network.

Fox wants in on the broadcast comedy renaissance and is hoping that Animal Control, a single-camera comedy starring Joel McHale, will provide that bite.

Italian medical drama series Doc – Nelle Tue Mani is getting a U.S. remake.

BreAnna Bell Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Fox have entered into a non-exclusive broadcast direct deal to develop scripted dramas, live-action comedies and animated series through his production company G-Unit Film & Television, Michael Thorn, Fox Entertainment’s president of scripted programming announced on Tuesday. Projects created as part of the agreement will be owned by Fox Entertainment and produced by its in-house unit, Fox Entertainment Studios, in collaboration with G-Unit Film & Television. “Whether it’s music, film or television, Curtis always delivers premium entertainment that captivates millions of fans across the globe,” said Thorn. “He is the rare multi-hyphenate with a deft hand at storytelling, no matter the format or medium, and we’re looking forward to developing new and exciting series for Fox with him and his team.”

Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson has signed a non-exclusive multi-project broadcast direct deal with Fox.

The Cleaning Lady will be back for another go-round. Fox has renewed the popular series for a third season, the network’s first live-action scripted renewal for the 2023-24 season. Additionally, Jeannine Renshaw (Good Girls) also has joined the show as an executive producer and will serve as showrunner with Miranda Kwok.

Fox has handed early two-season renewals to three of its animation mainstays — The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers — taking them through the 2024-25 broadcast cycle.

Fox’s new distribution outfit Fox Entertainment Global (FEG) is pushing into international scripted co-productions, has optioned a “best-selling selling British thriller” and is “looking into” an international detective franchise.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Carol Mendelsohn and Julie Weitz’s Carol Mendelsohn Productions (CMP) has signed a multi-year first-look broadcast direct deal with Fox Entertainment. The announcement was made by Michael Thorn, Fox Entertainment’s president of entertainment, during MIPCOM Cannes. Under the deal, CMP will develop scripted drams for Fox. Should any shows be greenlit, they would be wholly owned by Fox with Mendelsohn and Weitz executive producing. CMP has already set up one project for development under the deal — a series adaptation of the Thomas Perry novel “The Bomb Maker.” Per the official logline, the series “follows former commander Dick Stahl, who is called in after the majority of the LAPD Bomb Squad is killed by a house bomb. On his first day back, the now three-person team is dispatched to a suspected car bomb, and it quickly becomes clear to him that they are dealing with an unusual criminal mastermind―one whose intended target appears to be the Bomb Squad itself.”

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor CANNES – The newly constituted senior entertainment team at Fox Corp. came to Mipcom this year with checkbooks in hand. The trio of executives who offered the keynote address Monday evening at the international content conference were blunt in telling the crowd that they came to make some new friends around the world and strike some deals. The company is bucking the trend in media toward direct-to-consumer subscription platforms. Fox is putting its resources into content and IP that can travel around the world and be adaptable in many forms. “While others are trying to hide their content behind paywalls, we are doing the opposite,” said Rob Wade, who was promoted this month to CEO of Fox Entertainment (“I’m 10 days in to the job,” he noted with a smile on stage). “We see the potential of working with (outside) networks, producers and distributors to be able to get our content out there further.”

New Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade has talked up the potential for TMZ to become a “huge entertainment studio,” setting out his stall at Mipcom Cannes for the first time since he replaced Charlie Collier.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Fox has given out an early Season 2 renewal to the Jon Hamm-led animated comedy “Grimsburg” before the show has even premiered. The announcement was made by Michael Thorn, president of entertainment for Fox Entertainment, during a MIPCOM panel moderated by Variety‘s co-editor-in-chief, Cynthia Littleton. “’Grimsburg’ is yet another clear example of our strong commitment to, and intense focus on, upholding the high bar of standards any show must exceed in order to reside under the Animation Domination banner,” Thorn said. “Of course, having Jon Hamm’s talent and star power front and center is a great place to start. Equally important, everything we’re seeing with ‘Grimsburg’ – from the very first scripts and show bible to animatics and preliminary cuts – makes us believe we have a winner on our hands that beautifully complements our animation brand.”

Community alum Joel McHale has been tapped for the lead of Fox’s straight-to-series workplace comedy, Animal Control. McHale also will executive produce the single-camera show, Fox Entertainment’s first wholly owned live-action comedy.

Fox is doubling down on Krapopolis.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Fox has renewed the animated comedy “Krapopolis” for Season 2 before the show’s series premiere. The series, which hails from Dan Harmon, was originally picked up at Fox in February 2021. It is slated to premiere on the broadcaster in 2023, but it does not yet have an official premiere date. Per the official logline, “‘Krapopolis’ is set in mythical ancient Greece and tells the story of a dysfunctional family of humans, gods and monsters that try their hand at running the world’s first cities – without trying to kill each other, that is.” The show show’s voice cast includes stars like Hannah Waddingham, Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Pam Murphy, and Duncan Trussell.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Rob Wade has been promoted to CEO of Fox Entertainment following the exit of former chief Charlie Collier. “Since the formation of Fox Entertainment, Rob has been an integral part of the leadership team responsible for delivering on its long-term strategy of creating an independent media company built on broadcast, developing an owned content portfolio and maintaining a disciplined in-house infrastructure,” Fox Corp. executive chief and CEO Lachlan Murdoch said in a statement Thursday. “Given Rob’s sharp creative instincts and proven operational acumen, he is well-suited to lead Fox Entertainment in what promises to be an exciting next chapter in its rich history.”