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Matt Hastings Signs First-Look Deal With ‘The Way Home’ Producer Neshama Entertainment
Canadian production company Neshama Entertainment has signed a first-look development and production deal with writer, director and showrunner Matt Hastings. Under the agreement, Hastings will develop original scripted and unscripted TV and film projects for Neshama, which produces Hallmark Channel's long-running drama The Way Home, with Fox Entertainment Global handling international distribution given Fox's stake in the Toronto-based company.
Hastings brings credits including the Emmy-winning Fallen, Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale and Apple TV's Circuit Breakers, alongside Shadowhunters, The Originals, Eureka and Alphas, having produced more than 300 hours of television and film. Neshama executive Dayna Zipursky praised his ability to build "emotionally rich, commercially compelling worlds," while Hastings said he was drawn to the partnership's combination of creative ambition and global distribution reach. Neshama has other projects in the works, including a TV adaptation of the book American Predator with showrunner Scott Rosenbaum and the Crave series Prejudice starring Emily VanCamp.
In short
- Matt Hastings signs first-look deal with Neshama Entertainment.
- He'll develop scripted and unscripted TV and film projects.
- Fox Entertainment Global will handle international distribution.
Explained simply
A first-look deal is an agreement in which a production company secures the right to develop future television and film projects created by a writer or producer. The company gets first opportunity to work on the creator's new ideas before they can take them elsewhere. These arrangements provide creators with dedicated resources and support whilst giving production companies early access to promising projects.
Matt Hastings is an established television writer, director and showrunner with extensive credits in drama production. His past work includes the Emmy-winning Fallen, The Handmaid's Tale, Shadowhunters and The Originals, and he has been involved in producing over 300 hours of television and film. Neshama Entertainment is a Canadian production company known for creating The Way Home, a long-running series on Hallmark Channel.
The partnership combines an experienced creative with a production company that has international distribution reach through Fox Entertainment Global. For Hastings, the arrangement provides resources and pathways to bring his projects to worldwide audiences. For Neshama, it adds an established creator to its development slate as it continues producing new content.
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