EXCLUSIVE: Shawn Ryan, whose thriller drama The Evening Agent was essentially the most watched TV sequence of 2023 on Netflix, has signed a giant, four-year total cope with the streamer, sources inform Deadline. The prolific creator, govt producer and showrunner landed at Netflix in a aggressive state of affairs, together with his present studio residence, Sony Photos TV, NBCUniversal in addition to Warner Bros. TV amongst those that pursued him, I hear. The pact with Netflix will begin after Ryan’s present total cope with Sony TV expires on the finish of October.
With Ryan’s deal in place, I hear Netflix is continuing with opening a Season 3 writers room for The Evening Agent. The Sony TV-produced sequence has at present been picked up by Season 2, which ramped up shortly after the strikes to start out manufacturing in early February for a launch later this yr. The writers room for Season 3 — a normal Netflix observe on profitable sequence forward of formal inexperienced gentle — opens subsequent month, I hear.
Having Ryan within the fold additionally would enable Netflix to simpler scale up The Evening Agent right into a franchise with potential spinoffs which were rumored for the reason that sequence made a splash with its March 2023 debut, touchdown on the streamer’s Prime 10 Most Standard English-Language Sequence record the place Season 1 stays at #6. Netflix has completed franchise enlargement with most sequence on that record, together with Wednesday, Bridgerton, Monster, Stranger Issues and The Witcher, and universe-building is a important aim for the A-list expertise on its total deal roster.
In a tricky market for total offers amid total trade contraction post-strike, studios and streamers put a premium on showrunners who can juggle a number of sequence, one thing Ryan has completed for many of his profession by his MiddKidd manufacturing firm alongside longtime govt Marney Hochman who’s making the transfer to Netflix with him.
Ryan’s deal, mentioned to be within the eight-figure vary with beneficiant ensures, was described as “fairly exceptional” within the present financial setting.
Nonetheless, leaving Sony TV reportedly was not a simple name for Ryan as he’s identified for being loyal and staying in a single place for a very long time. He went out to check the waters this spring after 13 years of back-to-back total offers at Sony. He did an analogous spherical of studio conferences in 2011 after 12 years at twentieth TV and sibling Fox TV Studios. Having an ongoing relationship with Bela Bajaria and her group at Netflix in addition to the streamer’s world attain helped persuade him to make the soar.
Sony TV stays an energetic total/first-look deal participant, lately signing pacts with Gail Berman, Jessi Klein, Third Rail, Steve Lightfoot and Judalina Neira.
Ryan will stay in enterprise with the indie studio although the extent of his providers is fluid and topic of negotiations, I hear. Along with The Evening Agent, which Ryan created, govt produces and serves as showrunner on, he’s co-creator/govt producer/co-showrunner on Sony TV’s drama sequence S.W.A.T., which was lately renewed for an eighth season. It’s run by govt producer Andrew Dettmann.
There’s additionally American Hostage, a drama awaiting sequence inexperienced gentle at MGM+, which has Jon Hamm connected to star. Ryan co-wrote the pilot script with Eileen Myers and is anticipated to stay actively concerned within the first season ought to it get ordered. Moreover, there are a handful of initiatives in numerous phases of growth, which he continues to work on.
Ryan’s slate of sequence at Sony TV over time additionally included Timeless for NBC, Final Resort for ABC and Mad Canine for Amazon. At Fox, he created/govt produced his Emmy-winning drama The Defend for FX and govt produced CBS’ The Unit. Ryan is repped by CAA, supervisor Larry Shuman at The Shuman Co. and legal professional Gendler, Kelly & Cunningham.
