Fox Entertainment Studios inked a first-look development and production deal with Cottage Industry Entertainment.
The deal will include a slate of scripted television series and feature films based on both original projects and literary adaptations from executives Lisa Hamilton Daly, former programming executive at Hallmark Media, and Alysia Cotter Thomas.
Upcoming adaptations in their pipeline include Danielle Steel’s bestselling novel “The Whittiers,” which was optioned by Fox for a television adaptation. The family novel was Steel’s 200th book published.
“Lisa and Alysia bring a terrific combination of creative instincts, industry experience, and a real understanding of what connects with audiences,” said Hannah Pillemer, head of scripted for Fox Entertainment Studios. “Lisa has helped build some of television’s most successful and enduring female-driven series, while Alysia has spent her career developing films and championing filmmakers, storytellers, and other outstanding creative voices. Together, they’ve created a company with a clear point of view, a strong commercial sensibility, and a growing slate of projects that we’re pleased to welcome to Fox.”
The production company also has an unannounced one-hour family drama from writer Jordanna Fraiberg currently in development at a streaming platform. Other television adaptations include “Summer on Lilac Island,” based on the novel by Lindsay MacMillan, with Delondra Mesa attached to write and “Mom’s Place,” a comedy project from Angela Kinsey (“The Office”) and Audrey Wauchope.
Film adaptations coming down the pipe from Cottage Industry and Fox include an original hockey-themed romantic comedy from screenwriters Sam Sklaver and Elizabeth Peterson, “It All Comes Down to This”; adaptation of Adriana Trigiani’s “The View from Lake Como”; and “The Afterlife of Holly Chase” adapted by Ali Laventhol and Tawnya Bhattacharya.
“Fox Entertainment Studios has been a tremendous partner in helping us build Cottage Industry and bring our creative vision to life,” Daly and Thomas, co-founders of Cottage Industry Entertainment, said. “We share a belief in stories that entertain, move people, and keep audiences coming back, whether that’s a compelling family drama, a smart romantic comedy, or a suspenseful thriller.”
Fox Entertainment collaborates as a content distribution partner with studios and platforms worldwide, including Disney, Hulu, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony Pictures Television, Prime Video, Netflix and Apple TV+, to name a few.
Cottage Industry Entertainment was founded in 2025 by Daly and Thomas. The production company produces scripted television series, feature films, and limited series, specifically focusing on female-driven storytelling.
