“Russian Doll” co-creator Leslye Headland has signed an overall TV deal with Fox 21.
The deal will see Headland create, develop and direct projects for multiple platforms. Headland co-created Netflix’s “Russian Doll” with Natasha Lyonne, who also starred in the time-bending drama, and Amy Poehler. Headland directed four of the series’ eight episodes.
“Every once in a very rare while, you watch some TV show or movie, and it’s so special that you think how lucky you’d be if you got to work with its creator. And rarer still is when you meet them and you can’t believe that they are better than you could’ve even imagined. That’s our experience with Leslye,” said Fox 21 TV Studios president Bert Salke. “Her incredible work in both film and TV is surpassed only by how awesome she is in real life.”
The series follows a young woman named Nadia (Lyonne) on her journey as the guest of honor at a seemingly inescapable party in New York. The series, produced by Universal Television, was renewed for a second season. You can read TheWrap’s interview with Headland about creating the time-loop series here.
“I am thrilled to be working with Bert, Jane [Francis], Dana [Walden] and Craig [Hunegs] and the Fox 21 team,” Headland said. “They championed me and helped me land my first job as a staff writer about ten years ago. I was an unpublished playwright, and they fought to get me a seat at the table. It has been an ambition of mine to return to the fold and develop my personal and passion projects with them. I am so excited to get started and grateful for this incredible opportunity.”