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By Torrey Hart
LeBron James and business partner Maverick Carter’s production outlet The SpringHill Company has a new four-year, first-look deal with Comcast’s Universal Pictures, Variety first reported. The company previously had a deal with Warner Bros.
First-look deals are contractual agreements between two parties that gives one the right of first refusal to the other’s projects.
Uninterrupted, the athlete empowerment media platform; SpringHill Entertainment, a premium scripted and unscripted production company; and consulting agency The Robot Company fall under The SpringHill Company’s umbrella.
“The SpringHill Company’s purpose is to empower greatness in every individual. With Universal, we’re aligned in making sure socially conscious and purposeful elements are felt in all of our stories, whether it’s a drama, comedy, family or even a horror film,” Carter, SpringHill’s CEO, said. “In the same spirit, this partnership allows us to empower creators to tell the stories important to them and culture on the studio projects in the film space.”
“Universal has been an incredibly collaborative thought partner from vision to execution and it’s clear they value championing and telling diverse stories. We’re proud to be partnering with a studio that makes telling diverse stories a mandate and not an option,” he said.
Development got underway two years ago on an untitled Universal and SpringHill Entertainment movie based on the book “Shooting Stars” by James and “Friday Night Lights” author Buzz Bissinger. SpringHill is also working on “New Kid,” a project based on the book of the same name that was the first graphic novel to win the Newbery Medal, as well as an original film called “Catch the Wave.”
With Warner Bros, SpringHill made the upcoming highly-anticipated animated feature “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” set to premier in July 2021.
“LeBron, Maverick and the team at SpringHill are content creators with a purpose, and we’re excited to partner with filmmakers who challenge us to tell stories that move culture forward,” Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley said.
