Fox Entertainment, Cottage Industry team on scripted slate under first-look deal

Lisa Hamilton Daly (left) and Alysia Cotter Thomas

Fox Entertainment Studios has struck a first-look development and production deal with Cottage Industry Entertainment, the production outfit launched last year by former Netflix and Hallmark exec Lisa Hamilton Daly and producer and literary agent Alysia Cotter Thomas.

The agreement covers scripted television series and feature films based on original concepts and literary IP.

One of the first projects in development is The Whittiers, based on Danielle Steel’s bestselling 2022 novel, which Fox recently optioned for television.

The wider slate includes Summer on Lilac Island, based on Lindsay MacMillan’s novel, with Delondra Mesa attached to write; a family drama from writer Jordanna Fraiberg, currently in development at an unnamed streaming platform; and comedy Mom’s Place from Angela Kinsey (The Office) and Audrey Wauchope.

Film projects include hockey-themed romantic comedy It All Comes Down to This, based on an original idea from Sam Sklaver and Elizabeth Peterson; The View from Lake Como, adapted by its author Adriana Trigiani from her novel; and The Afterlife of Holly Chase, based on Cynthia Hand’s book and being adapted by Ali Laventhol and Tawnya Bhattacharya.

Hamilton Daly previously served as executive VP of programming at Hallmark Media, overseeing its original programming slate across scripted series, movies and unscripted entertainment. Before that, she was director of original series at Netflix, where she worked on shows including Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias and Firefly Lane.

Thomas has held creative roles at Warner Bros and Legendary Entertainment, working on projects including The Dark Knight, 300 and Clash of the Titans. She later served as VP of creative affairs at Working Title in London before moving into literary representation at Paradigm, where she helped develop and package film and television projects.

“Lisa and Alysia bring a terrific combination of creative instincts, industry experience, and a real understanding of what connects with audiences,” said Fox Entertainment Studios’ head of scripted Hannah Pillemer, adding that Cottage Industry Entertainment has a “clear point of view, a strong commercial sensibility, and a growing slate of projects that we’re pleased to welcome to Fox.”

Hamilton Daly and Cotter Thomas added: “We share a belief in stories that entertain, move people, and keep audiences coming back, whether that’s a compelling family drama, a smart romantic comedy, or a suspenseful thriller.”