Blink49 strikes first-look pact with Tell Me Lies outfit Belletrist Productions 

Toronto-headquartered Blink49 Studios has struck a first-look deal with Belletrist Productions, the US-based company led by American actor and producer Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss.

John Moraynis

Belletrist Productions, which is behind series including Tell Me Lies (Hulu) and First Kill (Netflix), will partner with Blink49 to develop and produce scripted shows under the two-year exclusive deal.

Founded in 2019, Roberts and Preiss’ production company was borne out of the Belletrist book club and has continued to grow its footprint in television in recent years. Tell Me Lies is in its third season on Hulu, while supernatural teen drama First Kill launched on Netflix in 2022.

Blink49, led by CEO John Morayniss, has continued at a rapid dealmaking pace in recent months, recently taking on investment from Bell Media. Its other recent deals include a long-term development and production partnership with US-based Piller/Segan, and a first-look production deal with Virginia Rankin’s Rankin File Productions.

Pancho Mansfield, president of global scripted television at Blink49, said Belletrist Productions has a “creative voice and a proven ability to deliver sharp, high-quality stories.”

Blink49’s exec VP of global scripted TV Carolyn Newman added: “The Belletrist team have an extraordinary talent for championing stories that genuinely resonate with audiences on an emotional and cultural level, and we’re eager to collaborate with them to build projects that reflect that unique connection.”