EXCLUSIVE: Makeready, the production company led by producer Brad Weston and Netflix alum Collin Creighton, has extended by three years its overall deal with Fifth Season. Joining the party is Topic Studios; the Makeready deal is the first in a new multiyear joint venture between Topic and Fifth Season in which they’ll back production companies with financing and development funds to create premium television content.
Makeready has hired former Temple Hill exec Sydney Title to run its television division.
Makeready made its original deal with Fifth Season, and it yielded such films as the Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley starrer Killer Heat, which was Prime Video’s top film worldwide for two weeks. There also was A Thousand and One, the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner and debut feature from A.V. Rockwell. Upcoming films include Opus for A24, starring John Malkovich and The Bear’s Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri; an adaptation of the Edgar-winning novel She Rides Shotgun which Amazon bought internationally, directed by Nick Rowland and starring Taron Egerton; and Animals, the Ben Affleck-directed drama for Netflix. Percolating projects include the English-language remake of the Academy Award-winning Another Round which Chris Rock is directing, and Some Part of Her, steered by author, showrunner and journo Amy Chozick.
Title will lead a further lean into the TV space. She most recently was VP Television Development & Production for Temple Hill, working on such projects as Downforce, which received a pilot order from Hulu. The series is written and executive produced by Emmy nominees Alec Berg and Adam Countee, with F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo also an EP, and Eve Hewson and Murray Bartlett starring. Prior to Temple Hill, Title developed and produced television at Chernin Entertainment, and Scooter Braun Projects, contributing to such series as See and Truth Be Told for Apple TV+, and Dave for FX.
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Weston said of the Makeready deal extension that, “Since day one, our relationship with everyone at Fifth Season has just been wildly comfortable. It’s like coming to work every day with your friends to make films and television. We love working with them, and are very grateful and excited for Topic Studios to join us to continue what we have been building. In a really challenging marketplace, the financial resources and infrastructure that both companies provide us allow us to develop a robust slate that gives us the opportunity to consistently make films and television. Adding Sydney to our team will accelerate our efforts in television, while we are hopefully able to continue making two to four films a year.”
Said Topic Studios’ CEO Michael Bloom and COO Ian Stratford: “The incredible business that Makeready has built is a reflection of Brad and his team’s brilliance and grind, and we look forward to their continued growth.”
Fifth Season co-CEOs Chris Rice and Graham Taylor said they believe Weston’s Makeready is just warming up.
“Brad has earned his reputation as one of the best in the business, and we’ve seen that firsthand over the last few years working with him, Collin, and the Makeready team,” said Rice and Taylor.
“We know the future of this partnership will yield even more, bigger successes, especially as we expand our focus to television and Sydney brings her proven experience to the team. We are so excited about our new partnership with Topic Studios, and we look forward to working together to build great companies and make great series,” they said.
The Fifth Season slate includes the upcoming Friendship which stars Paul Rudd, Tim Robinson and Kate Mara, acquired by A24 out of TIFF; the James Madigan-directed The Beast, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman; and the Stephen Chbosky-directed Nonnas, which stars Vince Vaughn and which Netflix bought before its skedded TIFF premiere, and pulled it back for a 2025 global release. Fifth Season’s TV output includes the Jason Momoa drama Chief of War for Apple TV+ and the Jessica Chastain-starrer The Savant, directed by Matthew Heineman.
Topic Studios projects include the upcoming Searchlight Pictures drama A Real Pain with Jesse Eisenberg directing and starring with Kieran Culkin, and A24’s David Lowery-directed Mother Mary, starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. Series include 100 Foot Wave and Atomic.
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