Netflix seals Duplass brothers deal

Mark (left) and Jay Duplass

US streamer Netflix has signed a deal with independent film veterans Mark and Jay Duplass for the streaming rights to their next four pictures.

The agreement with the Duplass brothers begins with their as-yet-untitled project with comic actor and screenwriter Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), which launches later this year.

The ‘bromance’ film focuses on “friendship, mortality and made-up sports” and will star Romano and Mark Duplass. Alex Lehmann, who directed the Duplass brothers’ Blue Jay, will direct.

Mel Eslyn, president of Duplass Brothers Productions, will produce with Alana Carithers and Sean Bradley.

“Turns out when you make films for Netflix, millions of people all over the world watch them. This is not a terrible thing for an independent filmmaker,” the brothers joked. “As Netflix continues to grow and develop new ways to reach viewers, we couldn’t be more thrilled to grow our partnership.”

The latest deal with the SVoD service marks the continuation of a partnership that began in 2015, when Netflix acquired Duplass films Blue Jay, Take Me, Creep 2 and the forthcoming Duck Butter and Outside In.

The Duplass brothers are also exec producers on Netflix’s documentary series Wild Wild Country, which looks at a controversial guru’s attempt to create a utopia in Oregon and the unrest that followed.

In October last year, the duo expanded their work with digital players by agreeing a production partnership through their creative shop Donut with NBCUniversal and Snapchat owner Snap Inc’s digital content studio joint venture.