EXCLUSIVE: 20th Television has closed a first-look TV deal with Seven Bucks Productions, the production company co-founded by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia. The pact brings Seven Bucks fully under the Walt Disney Co. umbrella after the label last June signed a first-look deal with the Disney movie studio to develop films for theatrical and streaming.
Under the pact with 20th TV, part of Disney TV Studios, Johnson, Garcia, and Seven Bucks’ television team, led by President of Production Hiram Garcia, Head of Television Scott Landsman and EVP of Development & Production Kimberly Bialek, will develop and executive produce comedy, drama, adult animation, limited and unscripted series for linear networks and streamers, with an emphasis on platforms across Disney Entertainment Television.
After starring roles in a couple of Disney movies from the 2000s, including The Game Plan and Race to Witch Mountain, Johnson returned to the media conglom as Seven Bucks produced the 2021 film adaptation of Jungle Cruise, starring Johnson and Emily Blunt, and the 2021 docuseries Behind the Attraction, which ran on Disney+ for two seasons. Johnson also recently reprised his voice role as Maui in Disney’s animated sequel Moana 2, which has grossed over $1 billion globally to date.
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Under the Disney film deal, Seven Bucks is producing a live-action remake of the original Moana, in which Johnson also plays Maui, and a live-action film set in the world of motorsports, Monster Jam.
“There are few producers more synonymous with franchise-building than Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia. DJ is arguably the biggest star on the planet, whose unmatchable charisma, charm, and magical likeability is infused into the characters and stories that Seven Bucks brings to the screen. Seven Bucks has had an incredible run working with Disney on the film side and we are thrilled to continue this legacy at the television studio,” said Karey Burke, president of 20th Television.
Seven Buck’s TV business was previously based at Universal TV where the company produced Young Rock, a semi-autobiographical comedy series co-created, executive produced by and starring Johnson.
“Disney has been our trusted partner in storytelling and entertainment for years now, and we’re ecstatic to expand our partnership with them beyond film as we set out to work hard and achieve the same success in the television space,” Johnson and Garcia said. “In 20th Television we have a partner who matches our ambition, our passion, and our commitment to bring authentic, innovative content to audiences all over the world. Collaborating with Dana Walden, Eric Schrier, Karey Burke, Carolyn Cassidy, and the entire team at 20th Television feels like an unlimited opportunity for creative storytelling, and most importantly, entertaining a lot of folks out there.”
Seven Bucks most recently produced the Amazon MGM Studios movie Red One and has also coming up The Smashing Machine for A24 and new installments in Universal’s Fast & Furious and Sony’s Jumanji franchises.
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