According to Variety, Chloé Zhao has signed a multi-year deal with Searchlight Television, which will see her developing and producing original content for the company. The deal comes as a huge boost for Zhao, who was previously a part of the Searchlight team that produced her Golden Globe-winning film “Nomadland.”
According to the company’s presidents David Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield, they were eager to work with her again after the film’s success. The deal marks Zhao’s first foray into the television industry. Her film “Nomadland” has already won multiple awards, including a Best Director award and the Best Picture award at the Golden Globe, and an Oscar for her work on the screenplay. She was also nominated for an Academy Award for her work on the film.
Besides her work on “Nomadland,” Zhao is also known for her work on other films, such as “The Rider” and “Songs My Brother Taught Me.” She is represented by Lichter Grossman, Ilene Feldman Management, and Pangea.
The deal with Zhao is the latest step in Searchlight’s efforts to establish its TV division. Earlier this year, the company’s first original series, “The Dropout,” received five Emmy nominations. Amanda Seyfried was also nominated for an award for her performance in the limited series.
The company is currently working on various projects, such as the Mel Brooks-produced “History of the World Part II.” It’s also developing a series for Disney+ and FX called “The Full Monty.” In addition, it’s currently producing the Spanish-language version of “La Maquina,” which stars Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal.
Despite the success of her film, Zhao’s “Eternals” was met with mixed reviews from critics and fans. The movie earned over $400 million at the global box office, but it was also criticized by some. According to Zhao, in an interview with Empire magazine, she was surprised by the negative response her film received.
The pandemic forced the release of “Eternals” to be delayed by a year. Originally, it was supposed to be released in November 2020, but it was pushed back to the following year. The film was originally scheduled to be released after the release of “Endgame.” She noted that the studio felt that it was best to wait until after the pandemic to release it.
