Phil Lord And Chris Miller Will Be Making Sony TV Series For The Foreseeable Future, Including 'Spider-Verse' Shows
Sony will own Phil Lord and Chris Miller for the foreseeable future. The duo behind the 2018 animated phenomenon that was Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse have signed a massive nine-figure deal with Sony Pictures Television, expanding their relationship with the studio that backed Spider-Verse and Lord and Miller's first animated hit Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Lord and Miller are being given virtual free reign over the slate of projects they'll oversee through Lord Miller Productions, including a series of Spider-Verse spin-off shows.
IndieWire broke the news that Lord and Miller have signed an overall deal with Sony Pictures Television "allowing them to develop a slate of projects for a variety of platforms through Lord Miller Productions."
The massive nine-figure paycheck that Lord and Miller receive with this deal puts them in an exclusive club of in-demand creators like Ryan Murphy or Shonda Rhimes. Although Netflix is becoming known for throwing cash at high-profile names, Sony has been making moves as of late to lock in creative talent, bringing in Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa last week. But Lord and Miller may be their most impressive get, with the filmmaking duo riding high off the Oscar-winning success of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Sony is wisely doubling down on the audience affection for the animated film, greenlighting multiple spin-off films and now expanding the webbed universe to the small screen.
Lord and Miller said in a statement following the finalization of the deal:
"We are so grateful to everyone at Sony Pictures Television for choosing to partner with us and expand our enduring relationship with the studio. Together we aim to make groundbreaking work of the highest quality and integrity, and to place that work in convenient proximity to your eyeballs and earholes, wherever you may be."
Lord and Miller are no strangers to TV, having directed the pilot episode of The Last Man on Earth and producing TV projects like Clone High, Son of Zorn, Making History, and Unkitty. But this massive Sony deal would be the first time they've had such creative freedom — a freedom they enjoyed in the production of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Sony Pictures Television chairman Mike Hopkins seems eager for Lord and Miller to bring their particular brand of storytelling that they've perfected through The LEGO Movie, 21 Jump Street, and other hits to television, saying, "This is a significant milestone for our television business, having the opportunity to work with two of the most creative forces in the industry in both our film and television businesses." He added, "Building on our strong IP and creating new franchises has been a key focus for SPE, and the best way to do that is to invest in remarkable storytellers like Phil and Chris."