Will Arnett is expanding his relationship with Fox Entertainment. The actor and comedian, who hosts Fox’s “Lego Masters,” has sealed an overall producing deal for his Electric Avenue Prods. to produce fare for the network’s in-house production company.
As part of the pact, Electric Avenue will exclusively develop unscripted fare for Fox, while hold a first-look agreement for scripted series to be produced by Fox Entertainment Studios. The news was announced Monday at the Banff World Media Festival at a keynote address by Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade, who was interviewed on stage by Variety TV editor Michael Schneider.
“Will’s got this razor wit and brilliantly unmistakable sense of humor that make him a terrific creative collaborator. Plus, who can say no to that voice,” Wade said in a statement. “Never one to disappoint, Will already has some incredible ideas we can’t wait to bring to Fox.”
Under the pact, Arnett and Electric Avenue’s Marc Forman are set to executive produce any series, both unscripted or scripted, greenlit by Fox. Arnett joins other talent who have struck deals with Fox in recent years (and since the network went independent and separated from 20th Century Fox TV), including a first-look deal with Rob Lowe to jointly develop unscripted series for Fox, as well as deals with Dan Harmon (“Krapopolis”), Denis Leary (“Going Dutch”), Justin Adler, Rodney Rothman and Adam Rosenberg, Carol Mendelsohn and Julie Weitz, McG, and others.
Arnett has been hosting “Lego Masters” since 2020; he’s also an executive producer on the show, which is set to return for a fifth season. He also hosts and EPs the annual special “Lego Masters Holiday Bricktacular.” (Both are produced by Endemol Shine North America, Tuesday’s Child and Plan B Entertainment, under license from the Lego Group.)
Also at Fox, Arnett last season was executive producer of the “Snake Oil,” a game show hosted by David Spade. Electric Avenue, which Arnett launched in 2014, was behind that show; the shingle’s other credits include “Flaked,” “Murderville,” “The Gong Show” and “Hot Date.”
Arnett’s career hit into high gear on Fox, via the Emmy-winning comedy “Arrested Development,” on which he played Gob Bluth. He also starred in the Fox comedy “Running Wilde.” Arnett’s credits also include the lead voice on “BoJack Horseman,” and as exec producer and a star in Peacock’s “Twisted Metal.”
His feature credits include “The Lego Movie,” “Lego Batman,” “Blades of Glory,” “Semi-Pro,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Ratatouille,” “Teen Titans Go! to the Movies” and “Monsters vs. Aliens.”
Recently, Arnett has hosted the popular podcast “Smartless” with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes (which also spawned the doc “Smartless: On the Road.” He will co-star, write and produce “Is This Thing On?” with Bradley Cooper.
Arnett is repped by CAA, Artists First, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
Source Agencies
