The Bomb Maker Book Optioned and Marks First Project Under Agreement
Deal Follows FOX Entertainment’s MIPCOM CANNES Slate of Announcements
FOX Entertainment has signed producers Carol Mendelsohn (CSI) and Julie Weitz to a multi-year first-look broadcast direct deal, it was announced today during MIPCOM CANNES by Michael Thorn, President, Entertainment, FOX Entertainment.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mendelsohn and Weitz will develop scripted dramas for the FOX network. Greenlit programs will be wholly owned by FOX Entertainment, and Mendelsohn and Weitz will serve as executive producers under their Carol Mendelsohn Productions banner.
FOX Entertainment Studios optioned the book, The Bomb Maker, written by the prolific novelist Thomas Perry and is currently meeting with potential writers. Mendelsohn and Weitz will executive produce the project, which follows former commander Dick Stahl, who is called in after the majority of the LAPD Bomb Squad is killed by a house bomb. On his first day back, the now three-person team is dispatched to a suspected car bomb, and it quickly becomes clear to him that they are dealing with an unusual criminal mastermind―one whose intended target appears to be the Bomb Squad itself.
“Carol is one of the great architects of broadcast television’s most influential and longstanding dramas. Together with Julie, we have two of the most talented, respected producers in the industry; and we are excited to bring their creativity and powerful storytelling to FOX, starting with their development of The Bomb Maker,” said Thorn. “This deal underscores our pledge to being home to the best creators in the business, while offering them creative flexibility and a direct relationship with our network and programming team, which are rare commodities in today’s marketplace.”
“There was an instant meeting of the minds when Julie and I sat down with Michael Thorn and Brooke Bowman,” said Mendelsohn. “This is a uniquely creative opportunity for us and we’re excited by our new partnership and all its possibilities.”
Mendelsohn served as showrunner and executive producer of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, as well co-created and executive produced spinoffs CSI: Miami, CSI: NY and CSI: Cyber. Weitz and Mendelsohn have executive produced multiple pilots for broadcast and cable, including Chiefs, Doomsday and The Jury, as well as the series Game of Silence and Dogs in the City.
Mendelsohn is represented by WME, TFC Management and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.
About FOX Entertainment
With a legacy spanning more than 35-years, FOX Entertainment is one of the world’s most recognizable media brands and a prolific content producer across its iconic broadcast network and both owned and third-party streaming platforms. Known for its independent, innovative spirit and provocative, groundbreaking storytelling, the company was reinvented in 2019 with the formation of the new FOX Entertainment. While maintaining its leadership in broadcast television (9-1-1, The Simpsons, The Cleaning Lady, Hell’s Kitchen, LEGO Masters), the company is actively building a portfolio of businesses and library of owned original content. To date, FOX Entertainment’s long-term growth strategy has included the acquisitions of award-winning powerhouse animation studio Bento Box (Bob’s Burgers, The Great North, Krapopolis, Grimsburg, HouseBroken), entertainment platform TMZ, and global production studio MarVista Entertainment, as well as the formation of landmark culinary and lifestyle content venture Studio Ramsay Global (Next Level Chef) in partnership with the legendary Gordon Ramsay. The company also established its in-house unscripted studio FOX Alternative Entertainment (The Masked Singer, I Can See Your Voice, Name That Tune), FOX Entertainment Studios (Monarch, Animal Control) to develop scripted content, the worldwide content sales division, FOX Entertainment Global and Web3 media and creative technology studio Blockchain Creative Labs.