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9 months ago
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EXCLUSIVE: Writer-producer Judalina Neira (The Boys, Daisy Jones and the Six) has signed an overall deal with Sony Pictures Television focused on developing drama series for cable and streaming through her newly launched production company, Famous Last Words Productions. For her first project under the pact, Neira is taking on a signature Sony title, Bewitched.
Written by Neira, the new Bewitched is described as an irreverent hourlong reimagination of the classic TV series. She is executive producing alongside The Goldbergs executive producer Doug Robinson and Lauren Moffat of Sony TV-based Doug Robinson Productions.
According to sources, Neira and Sony TV had started conversations about the Bewitched reboot that evolved into an overall deal agreement, the first such pact for the rising writer-producer.
Neira most recently served as executive producer on the upcoming fourth season of Sony TV’s superhero hit The Boys for Prime Video and on another Prime Video series, horror dark comedy The Horror of Dolores Roach. She also worked with Sony TV on The Boys offshoot Gen V as co-executive producer.
“Judalina joined the Sony family with her work on The Boys, and we are incredibly proud of her contributions to supporting creator Eric Kripke’s vision,” said Lauren Stein, Head of Creative, Sony Pictures Television. “She brings passion and authenticity and has been such a champion for the representation and growth of Latinx writers — we knew we had to make a deal with her! We are so excited to have her call Sony home and can’t wait for what is to come as we deepen our relationship.”
A graduate of the 2023 WGA Showrunner Training Program, Neira is an alumnus of the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Series Scriptwriters Program, a Governor Emeritus of The Television Academy’s Writers Peer Group, and the Co-Founder of La Lista – a networking group for working Latina television writers.
Her series credits, which span multiple genres, also include Apple TV+’s The Morning Show and the CW’s The Flash. Neira served as a Supervising Producer on Prime Video’s Daisy Jones & The Six, sharing in the show’s 2023 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
“It’s been such a pleasure telling wicked stories with the team at Sony TV these past few years,” Neira said. “I couldn’t be more amped to join forces with them for this next big step in my career. And under our newly launched Famous Last Words Productions, I’m excited to both write and produce a full slate of hooky character-forward shows that dish up delight with bite.”
Created by Sol Saks and executive produced by Harry Ackerman, Bewitched ran for eight seasons on ABC from 1964-72. It starred Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha, a witch married to an ordinary mortal man, Darrin, and chronicles the way her powers and wicked family get in the way of her efforts to live a normal, magic-free life as a typical suburban housewife. A short-lived spinoff about Samantha’s daughter, Tabitha, ran on ABC in 1977.
There have been several previous attempts by Sony TV over the past decade to get a Bewitched reboot off the ground. CBS developed one during the 2011-12 season. NBC landed another in a bidding situation in 2014 with a pilot production commitment that did not go to series. And ABC took in for development a different iteration from Kenya Barris and Yamara Taylor in 2018.
Like the original, all three projects were half-hour comedies. The dramatic, hourlong take by Neira is reminiscent of the Bel-Air drama reimagening of the classic Will Smith sitcom, which streams on Peacock. Neira has background in drama, comedy and drama with comedic/satiric elements, and Robinson also has worked across both comedy and drama, so a blend of genres is likely.
Additionally, Sony Pictures TV – Kids has in the works an animated Bewitched series follows pre-teen Tabitha.
Bewitched got a feature remake with Columbia Pictures’ 2005 film starring Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, with another feature reboot put in development in 2021.
Neira is repped by Kaplan Stahler, Kaplan/Perrone, and attorney David Hiller.
