EXCLUSIVE: Paramount+‘s Head of Originals Jane Wiseman has made her first move with a high-profile hire. She is bringing in Chris Parnell, most recently an Apple TV+ creative executive and previously co-president of Sony Pictures TV Studios, to her team at the streamer overseen by Cindy Holland, Paramount’s Chair of Direct-to-Consumer.
Parnell has been appointed as EVP for Paramount+ Originals, reporting to Wiseman. He will be responsible for the development and production of the platform’s slate of original content.
Ever since former Netflix Head of Comedy Wiseman was named Head of Originals for Paramount+ two weeks ago, upon the close of Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount Global, there had been chatter that she may recruit a seasoned executive with drama background.
Parnell fits that bill. He has extensive experience in both drama and comedy and will shepherd projects across both genres.
A well-liked executive, Parnell is known for his passion for everything comic book/genre-related, which he would apply to signature Paramount IP, including Paramount+’s Star Trek franchise, which the streamer’s new leadership is looking to further expand.
Parnell is joining Paramount+ from another streamer, Apple TV+, where he served as a senior creative executive of US Television under Matt Cherniss for the past five years.
There, he was involved in developing such scripted series as Dark Matter, Neuromancer, The Last Frontier, Bad Monkey and Vince Gilligan’s upcoming Pluribus, reuniting with the Breaking Bad creator with whom he had worked at Sony TV.
Parnell also led the development of AppleTV+’s original content for the Apple Vision Pro launch, including the platform’s first full immersive series Adventure and first full-length spatial film Bono: Stories Of Surrender (immersive).
Before joining Apple TV+ in 2020, Parnell spent 16 years at Sony TV, rising to co-head of U.S. drama development and programming and ultimately co-president of SPT Studios, guiding all creative aspects of the studio’s domestic television business alongside fellow former co-president Jason Clodfelter.
Over the years, Parnell helped develop such broadcast, cable, and streaming series as For All Mankind, Outlander, The Boys, The Blacklist, Better Call Saul, The Boys, Timeless, Preacher, Wheel of Time, Electric Dreams and Zombieland, which later became a feature for Columbia Pictures.
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