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Fugitive Films co-founder Jamie Gordon and former MTV scripted programming chief Maggie Malina have launched Rommi, a new romance genre-focused, vertical content production studio.
Per the NYC-based team, Rommi’s strategy
involves commissioning original stories from established, best-selling authors to be adapted for the screen prior to any publication debut. The studio will debut its first original vertical rom-com, “Drive Me Mad,” in October based on an original idea by romance author Ali Rosen (“Unlikely Story”).
Other original stories are in the works at Rommi from authors Emma Grey (“The Last Love Note”) and Debbie Rigaud (“Simone Breaks All the Rules”). In addition to these original projects, Rommi is also adapting best-selling romance books, including “The Mixtape” by Brittainy Cherry and “This Spells Love” by Kate Robb.
Gordon, who will serve as CEO, and Malina, who is set as head of content, have also partnered with Morgann Book and Thomas Johnston of book-based media and production company Bookish Media to co-produce and collaborate on the company’s growing slate.
“As we witnessed the rapid global success of romance-themed verticals, we saw an opportunity to provide the romance reading community, who already blend reading, viewing, and posting on social media, with vertical movies that speak directly to them,” Gordon said. “We’re treating audiences to streamer-worthy rom-coms built for an accessible format they already love. We are using our years of experience in film and TV to offer truly satisfying entertainment for this passionate community.”
“It’s been great to see romance audiences finally getting the content they deserve with the recent explosion of projects such as Heated Rivalry, Off-Campus, and People We Meet on Vacation,” Malina said. However, there’s still an appetite for a steady flow of well-produced content to complement what traditional media is providing. Rommi will fill the gap between streaming and theatrical releases and give viewers a romantic escape wherever they want to watch.”
Gordon, who oversees the company’s overall strategy and business operations, is a New York City-based film and television producer and co-founder of Fugitive Films. Her credits include Emmy-winning PBS series “Half the Sky,” “A Path Appears,” the comedy “Humor Me” starring Jermaine Clement and Elliott Gould, the box office hit “Swimfan,” and the Oscar-nominated crime drama “In the Bedroom.” Gordon is on the board of Reel Works and is an adjunct professor at NYU Tisch.
“Centering the author’s voice and presence is integral to Rommi’s mission and brand,” Gordon said. “We are especially excited about our partnership with Bookish Media because they understand and exist within the romance fandom and have an unerring sense of what readers will find exciting.”
Malina leads Rommi’s content development and creative strategy, working with authors, creators, and filmmakers to bring romance stories to the screen. As longtime head of scripted programming at MTV/VH1, she oversaw the female-focused hits “Single Ladies” and “Hit the Floor” on VH1 and iconic movies for MTV, including 2Get+her and Hip-Hopera: Carmen, starring Beyoncé Knowles in her acting debut, among others. As an independent producer, her recent credits include Netflix’s “Resort To Love” and ABC/Hulu’s “Promised Land.”
“I started my career working on feature films with huge budgets and then moved to MTV where I needed to figure out how to grab viewers quickly by prioritizing creativity and speaking to their interests in an authentic way,” Malina said. “Launching Rommi is a similarly exciting leap because it explores a new storytelling format with no set rules and is meeting audiences where they most often are today.”
Pictured above: Maggie Malina (left) and Jamie Gordon (right)
