Vox Media Studios lands first-look pact with 20th Television
Variety reports the multi-year agreement will turn Vox Media journalism and podcasts into scripted and unscripted TV projects.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
3 min read
Vox Media Studios has struck a multi-year first-look agreement with 20th Television, Variety reported, setting up a pipeline that could send magazine features and podcasts toward the TV treatment.
Under the deal, the companies will develop and produce scripted and unscripted series for platforms across the business, according to Variety. The focus will be on projects drawn from long-form reporting across Vox Media brands, including New York Magazine, as well as Vox Media podcasts, with an emphasis on Disney Entertainment Television outlets.
Dana J. Olkkonen heads Vox Media Studios. Scoop Wasserstein leads Scoop Productions and oversees scripted development and production for New York Magazine on behalf of Vox Media Studios, according to Variety.
Karey Burke, president of 20th Television, said the studio was eager to work from New York Magazine’s reporting and the broader Vox Media Studios library.
“We’re incredibly excited to delve into the treasure trove of articles from New York Magazine’s fearless reporting and the entire Vox Media Studios portfolio,” Burke said, according to Variety. “Through compelling long-form storytelling that captures fascinating subjects, exposes, modern life and pop culture, the opportunities are truly endless. Scoop and Dana’s extraordinary sensibility and deep experience in bringing reporting to life on the screen, makes them perfect producing partners.”
Magazine stories, meet TV machinery
The pact lands while Vox Media Studios already has several projects in motion. Variety reported that the company is behind “The Altruists” at Netflix, starring Anthony Boyle and Julia Garner. That series is inspired by New York Magazine reporting on the rise and fall of FTX.
Another Netflix project in development stars Lizzy Caplan as a crisis public relations expert, also based on a New York Magazine article, according to Variety.
Variety also reported in February that Vox Media Studios was close to a series order at Apple TV for a limited series inspired by the New York Magazine article “The Nanny Squatter.” Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Cecily Strong were attached to star in that project, according to the report.
The studio’s past credits include the unscripted Apple TV series “Monster Factory,” HBO’s docuseries “An Update on Our Family,” and Hulu’s reality competition series “Best in Dough,” Variety reported.
Olkkonen framed the new agreement as a step up for the studio’s television ambitions.
“We are thrilled to be working with 20th Television and Hulu/ABC to produce a slate that showcases the ambition and breadth of Vox Media’s award-winning journalism,” Olkkonen said, according to Variety. “This partnership is a meaningful milestone for Vox Media Studios and reinforces that our work continues to resonate with passionate audiences and underscores the value of trusted media brands as engines for premium television.”
Vox Media Studios is represented by CAA and Del Shaw Moonves, Variety reported.
This story draws on original reporting from Variety.