Greg Berlanti seals $300m Warner deal

Greg Berlanti at Natpe Miami earlier this year

Prolific producer Greg Berlanti has extended his overall deal with Warner Bros by signing a new contract worth more than US$300m.

Berlanti has a record 14 scripted shows currently on air and recently had a number of shows picked up by networks at the Upfronts, including The CW’s All American and CBS’s God Friended Me. His existing shows include The Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and Blindspot.

The new development and production deal with Warner, the studio behind all of Berlanti’s shows, will keep him with the firm until 2024, with the deal costing between US$300m and US$400m, according to US trade The Hollywood Reporter.

It comes at a time when US TV companies are shelling out nine-figure sums to secure the best writing and producing talent in the business.

Netflix took Shonda Rhimes from Disney-owned ABC last year, before striking a US$300m pact with Glee producer Ryan Murphy in February.

Berlanti’s contract is reportedly different from those of Rhimes and Murphy. The showrunner is taking a cash payout, with further cash incentives to increase the number of shows on his slate, pushing the deal closer to the US$400m mark.

Warner Bros’ commitment to Berlanti comes soon after he secured a straight-to-series order for live-action drama Doom Patrol for Warner Bros Digital Networks’ forthcoming streaming service DC Universe.

Berlanti said he was “incredibly grateful” to Warner Bros for providing him with the environment to “tell stories for many years – and now many years to come.”

He added: “A lot has changed about TV since I started working in it 20 years ago, but what hasn’t changed is how blessed I feel to come to work every day, where I work with the most talented, hardest-working company, executives, showrunners, actors, writers, directors, casts and crews in the business. I’m eternally grateful to all of them and to the audiences that have watched our shows.”