Shonda Rhimes Renews Overall Deal With Netflix
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- Shonda Rhimes renewed her overall deal with Netflix for five years, with Shondaland and producing partner Betsy Beers continuing to exclusively develop series, films, games, merchandise, and live events for the streamer.
- Bridgerton has recorded 610M views since the first half of 2023, placing Season 1 as Netflix's seventh most popular show ever and Season 3 at number ten.
- The renewal comes after Netflix lost other top creators—the Duffer Brothers signed a megadeal with Paramount last year, and Ryan Murphy, behind Dahmer (Netflix's sixth biggest English-language show ever), returned to Disney in 2023.
- Season 5 of Bridgerton is currently in production in London at a studio complex Netflix built specifically for Rhimes, focusing on Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) and Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza).
- Queen Charlotte, the Bridgerton prequel, entered Netflix's all-time top ten upon its 2023 launch, and additional spinoffs are reportedly in development, including one centered on Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell).
- Beyond Bridgerton, Rhimes has produced Inventing Anna, The Residence (cancelled after one season), Emmy-winning documentary Black Barbie, and Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker for the streamer.
- Netflix will continue supporting Shondaland's inclusion initiatives, including the Ladder Program for underrepresented below-the-line creatives.
Why it matters: With the Duffer Brothers gone to Paramount and Ryan Murphy back at Disney, Rhimes becomes one of Netflix's few remaining mega-deal anchor producers, as demonstrated by a 610M-view Bridgerton franchise and a London studio Netflix built for her. The five-year extension locks in her exclusive output just as Season 5 enters production and additional Bridgerton spinoffs are explored.
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