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Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions has inked a first-look deal with Universal Global Television (UGT), Variety has learned.
Under the deal, JuVee will develop projects for UGT across all platforms. First
up, the company is developing the romantic drama “Pawn,” based on an original short story by Kennedy Ryan (“Before I Let Go,” “Score”) with Chantelle M. Wells (“Daredevil: Born Again,” “Yellowjackets”) attached to write. Davis, Tennon, and JuVee Productions’ head of TV, Andrew Wang, all executive produce along with Wells and Ryan.
“From our first meeting together, we felt uniquely connected on how we plan to bring empowering and fearless voices to the screen,” Davis and Tennon said. “We have long been fans of Kennedy Ryan since reading her simmering ‘Before I Let Go’ and Chantelle Wells has worked on some of the most iconic shows of the last decade, carving out her power as a storyteller who is willing to push the boundaries of expectations. To be able to work with these powerhouses to bring ‘Pawn’ to life with UGT speaks directly as to why we created JuVee.”
The logline for “Pawn” states that it follows “Gina Jones, who makes a deal to become a ‘pawn’ for the St. Louis crime family, the Rossis, in exchange for money to pay for her ailing grandmother’s medical treatments. The Rossis want to take down their rivals, the Norths, by targeting their heir apparent, Drayden, who is also Gina’s new boss. But when Gina and Drayden’s attraction to each other becomes undeniable, she has to navigate both families’ threats and secrets to go from ‘pawn’ to Queen.”
JuVee previously had TV deals at eOne, Amazon, and ABC Signature. The company has produced films like “The Woman King” and “G20” as well as TV projects including “The First Lady” and the docuseries “Hungry for Answers.” They have also produced multiple shorts and interactive films as well as stage productions.
“Viola, Julius and Andrew have built JuVee into a home for dynamic and powerful stories – a commitment we are proud to partner with them on, beginning with the excellent and gripping ‘Pawn,'” said Beatrice Springborn, president of Universal Global Television.
“We’re so grateful to Beatrice and the incredible team at UGT for joining us in creating this new chapter for JuVee,” added Wang. “Their instincts in telling bold, provocative stories aligns with our mission to continue to bring shows that offer a global range of perspectives with characters that redefine the genres they are in.”
JuVee Productions is repped by CAA and Lichter Grossman. Wells is repped by CAA, Amplified Management, and Felker McGinnis & Ryan LLP. Ryan is repped by CAA, Untitled, BookEnds Literary Agency, GKSD Law and 2PM Sharp PR.
