Rashida Jones and her writing partner, Will McCormack, made a splash last year with the screenplay for feature film Celeste & Jesse Forever. Now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, they’ve just signed a television contract:
The duo, who co-wrote the indie romantic comedy feature, have inked a two-year pod deal with Warner Bros. Television. Under the pact — which marks the writing team’s first pod deal — the duo will develop, write and produce their own comedy and drama projects for both cable and network TV.
It’s interesting that they’re doing comedy and drama: While Rashida is on the hilarious sitcom Parks and Recreation and comedian Andy Samberg was her costar in Celeste and Jesse, the film was pretty serious stuff. Will they veer more toward one or the other? Or end up with a dramedy?
Jones has a unique perspective: She grew up in Bel Air, the biracial daughter of wealthy celebs (her father is Quincy Jones; her mother is model Peggy Lipton), but says she was a “straight-up nerd” who “had a computer with floppy disks and a dial-up modem before it was cool.” She also played classical piano and was a voracious reader. In college, she turned to theater and acting. Oh, and she didn’t just attend any school: She’s a Harvard University graduate. Weird, right? A Hollywood kid who doesn’t seem like an asshole?
We’ve discussed the dearth of women writing for television and how women of color have a long way to go in terms of leading TV roles. But lately we’ve seen a little progress, thanks to ladies like Shonda Rhimes and Mindy Kaling. It’ll be exciting to see what Jones and McCormack have up their sleeves. There are smart people out there who enjoy smart TV, and these two might just deliver.
‘Parks and Recreation’s’ Rashida Jones, Writing Partner Ink 2-Year Deal With Warner Bros. TV [THR]