Lionsgate, New Regency JV adds TV boss

Lionsgate and fellow US studio New Regency have appointed a former E! executive as head of television at their fledgling scripted joint venture.

Kevin Plunkett

The two companies have been on the hunt for a creative chief to oversee the JV since it was announced at the Natpe market in January.

Kevin Plunkett, who left his role as senior VP of scripted programming at E! earlier this year, has taken the new role at the venture, which will mine both studios’ libraries of existing IP for TV.

Lionsgate TV Group president Sandra Stern told C21 earlier this year that she had high hopes of tapping into New Regency’s current slate, which includes The Revenant and The Big Short, plus library titles like Gone Girl, Fight Club and Natural Born Killers.

The venture marked New Regency’s return to series almost 10 years after it shut down its TV arm, having produced shows such as Malcolm in the Middle and Bernie Mac between 1998 and 2008.

Plunkett joined E! in 2011 to oversee the cablenet’s move into scripted content, having previously been senior VP of ABC Entertainment.

During his time at E! the network created its first drama, The Royals, in which Elizabeth Hurley stars as a fictionalised queen of the UK, and commissioned The Arrangement, which will air later this year.