By Nellie Andreeva | Deadline
Gabrielle Union, star and executive producer of NBC’s drama pilot L.A.’s Finest, has signed a first look deal with Sony Pictures TV, the studio behind the offshoot from the Bad Boys movie franchise.
Under the two-year pact, Union’s production company, I’ll Have Another – named as a nod to her best-selling book, We’re Going to Need More Wine – will develop broadcast, cable and digital projects for Sony TV.
The L.A.’s Finest pilot hails from Bad Boys movies’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Doug Belgrad and Primary Wave Entertainment. Written by Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier and directed by Anton Cropper, it follows the free-spirited Special Agent Syd Burnett character played by Union in 2003’s Bad Boys II movie as she moves to Los Angeles and joins the LAPD. She’s partnered with Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba), a working mom who can’t help but look at Syd’s freedom with some grass-is-greener envy. Union and Alba executive produce alongside Sonnier Margolis, Bruckheimer, Belgrad, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed, Jeff Gaspin and Jeff Morrone.
“I am so excited to be back in business with my old Bad Boys family and to have the opportunity to take it a step further and develop projects under the Sony Pictures Television banner is truly an honor,” said Union. “There is an obvious feeling of change happening in Hollywood and I feel very fortunate to now have the opportunity to create necessary projects that are reflective of those changes.”
As part of her deal, Union has named her longtime publicist, Holly Shakoor Fleischer as Head of Development.
“Holly is someone whose opinions and taste I trust implicitly,” Union said. “Our collaboration has always been extremely positive and together we have the ability to tell honest stories that are relatable, inclusive and above all, entertaining. “
Union made her producing debut as executive producer of the Lifetime movie With This Ring, in which she also starred, and followed that up by executive producing two other starring vehicles, the Universal feature comedy Almost Christmas and BET’s drama series Being Mary Jane, which will be ending its run with a two-hour movie this summer. Later this month, Union will receive the CinemaCon Breakthrough Producer of the Year Award, as she attends the convention with her upcoming Universal thriller Breaking In, which she produced and stars in.
Fleischer started her career in 2002 at BWR Public Relations and then went on to 42West Public Relations in 2009 and remained there for nearly a decade. Union has been a client of Fleischer for her entire 16-year career in publicity.
“I have been extremely fortunate in my career as a talent publicist and am grateful to have worked alongside my colleagues at 42West who I consider the best players in the game,” Fleischer said. “I’m excited to take the next step of my career in the creative space and get to join forces with Gabrielle. We have worked together for a long time and not only do I respect her hard work, sincere passion and unique talent, but we both have similar creative goals, visions and a shorthand that will help us execute our collective vision as a production company.”
Union is repped by CAA, Jeff Morrone of Primary Wave and attorney Patti Felker.