EXCLUSIVE: Duster co-creator LaToya Morgan has signed a mini first-look deal with Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Under her pact, Morgan will develop and produce projects for the studio through her TinkerToy Productions banner. First up, she is boarding thriller drama The Paris Widow as writer and executive producer.
This is the second agreement under the mini first-look deal model introduced by Universal Television in May, which involves shorter-term, cost-efficient non-exclusive pacts focused solely on development. Over the last couple of months, there has been outreach from writers, agents and other studios about the new deal type, whose terms vary and are tailored to each individual case.
Shorter than a typical first-look deal, the mini pacts usually cover the development of a couple of projects and expire when either the set number of scripts have been completed or the deal’s term has come to an end — whatever comes first.
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Designed to take a chance on up-and-coming writers or for established showrunners who may not want to be tied to a studio for a significant period of time — at least until they know it would be a good fit — the mini first-look deals are being compared to dating before getting married. If the writer and the studio are happy with the relationship, a mini pact could lead to a more formal, longer-term agreement — first-look or overall.
The mini first-look deals also look to fill a void as development-only agreements beyond one-off script pacts have largely dried up, replaced by “showveralls” and other agrements that package development with services on existing series, mitigating the risks for studios amid industry-wide cost-trimming.
Universal TV’s first mini first-look deal, signed in May, is with Charmaine DeGraté who is working on her development. Several others are in the pipeline.
“I’m over the moon to be part of the Universal Television family and thrilled for the opportunity to do more of what I love to do best – high octane storytelling,” Morgan said.
The Paris Widow, a series adaptation of bestselling author Kimberly Belle’s novel of the same name, was put in development at Universal Television in August 2024 by Little Bell Productions’ Brittany Little and Larissa Bell under their first-look deal at the studio, and ColorCreative’s Talitha Watkins. The trio will executive produce alongside Morgan, with Belle serving as co-producer.
In The Paris Widow, a dream vacation turns deadly when secrets from the past catch up to a married couple in Paris.
Morgan was most recently the showrunner and executive producer of the HBO Max crime thriller Duster, which she co-created with J.J. Abrams. She previously worked on The Walking Dead, Shameless, and Parenthood.
“LaToya has an impressive creative range that defies genre, moving seamlessly from thrillers and science-fiction to comedies and powerful character dramas,” said Erin Underhill, President of Universal Television. “We’re really looking forward to the opportunity to champion her vision.”
On the film side, Morgan is writing MGM’s Night of the Living Dead sequel, with Nikyatu Jusu attached to direct. Also a published graphic novelist, she is repped by WME and Eclipse Law.