Fruit Tree, the production company set up by Emma Stone and her husband Dave McCary that has worked on projects include Jesse Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ upcoming “Bugonia,” has signed a first-look and development deal for TV with Fremantle.
Under the partnership, Fremantle — which has already signed similar deals with a growing number of major names — will become the primary home for all of Fruit Tree’s scripted television projects and unscripted docuseries, with the company looking to grow its slate and expand overseas will help from Fremantle’s global drama division.
“We’re thrilled to join forces with the brilliant team at Fremantle, a studio that continues to be at the forefront of independent television with a deep commitment to inventive storytelling,” Stone and McCary said in a statement. “We’re so excited to build a creative home together and develop original narratives that challenge expectation and resonate with audiences worldwide.”
Founded by the couple in August 2020 — and joined soon after by the company’s president Ali Herting — Fruit Tree’s first TV projects were “The Curse,” Showtime’s 10-episode satirical thriller in which Stone starred alongside co-creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie, and “Fantasmas,” a six-episode surrealist comedy for HBO starring creator Julio Torres. They will next produce “The Yogurt Shop Murders,” a documentary series directed by Margaret Brown for HBO.
On the film front, alongside “A Real Pain,” Fruit Tree’s projects include Torres’ “Problemista” and Jane Schoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow.” Their upcoming features include “Bugonia,” starring Stone, for Focus Features; “Checkmate,” directed by Nathan Fielder for A24; Eisenberg’s untitled musical comedy starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti; and McCary’s untitled feature film with Universal.
The deal was spearheaded by Fremantle’s global drama and film CEO Christian Vesper and COO Seb Shorr as well as Lorenzo De Maio, president of De Maio Entertainment, who introduced the opportunity to Fremantle. It was negotiated by Fran Denny (VP commercial global drama) and Jodie Rosello (EVP scripted business and legal affairs) on behalf of Fremantle and PJ Shapiro (JSSK) on behalf of Fruit Tree.
“I’m so thrilled to be welcoming Emma, Dave and the whole team at Fruit Tree to the Fremantle fold,” Vesper said. “The combination of Emma’s indisputable talent and Dave’s sharp creative sensibility makes them a force to be reckoned with and I look forward to pushing boundaries even further together.”
Added Andrea Scrosati, group COO and CEO of continental Europe for Fremantle: “The foundation of what we do at Fremantle is based on partnering with the best creative minds across the world. A collaboration with exceptional talent like Emma, Dave and Ali is a perfect example of this strategy in action. I look forward to the great stories that Fremantle and Fruit Tree will build together.”
Fremantle also has first-look deals in place with Kristen Stewart’s Nevermind Pictures; Edward Berger and his label Nine Hours; Rachel Weisz and Polly Stokes’ Astral Projection; Stefano Sollima, Gina Gardini and Ludovico Purgatori’s AlterEgo; BAFTA-winning Me+You Productions and Roughcut Television; Fudge Park, Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín’s Fabula; Luca Guadagnino; Paolo Sorrentino; Johan Renck; and Michael Parets’ Sinestra.
