Joe Hipps Launches Production Company, Inks TV Deal With A24

EXCLUSIVE: Joe Hipps, who stepped down as Head of TV for Fifth Season earlier this month, is segueing to producing with a deal at another indie studio, A24. Hipps has launches a production company with an exclusive deal to develop and produce television series for A24.

Hipps surprised many when he exited Fifth Season after 16 years as a TV development executive, nine at MRC and seven at Fifth Season. It was rumored at the time that he may be looking for a change of pace and a career change.

As Head of TV at Fifth Season, Hipps oversaw a portfolio of more than a dozen series, including Apple TV+’s Severance and Lady In The Lake, Max’s Tokyo Vice as well as Hulu’s Nine Perfect Strangers and Life & Beth. His upcoming projects include The Savant, starring Jessica Chastain, and The Cheif of War, starring Jason Momoa — both for Apple TV+ — and East Of Eden, starring Florence Pugh and Chris Abbott, and His And Hers, starring Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal — both for Netflix.

Hipps joined then-Endeavor Content in 2017 from MRC where he rose to SVP, Television. During his tenure, he played a key role in what will go down as one of the most sequential deals in TV history — MRC’s sale of House Of Cards to Netflix with a two-season pickup, which put the then-fledgeling streamer on the original programming map. He also developed, sold, and produced Ozark for Netflix and produced Counterpart for Starz.

Hipps began his career at Fox under Dawn Olmstead, working on four seasons of Prison Break and developing comedy pilots with creators like Liz Meriwether and The Lonely Island.

A24, whose library features 50+ TV shows, including Beef and Euphoria, has new seasons coming up of Hazbin Hotel, Dreaming Whilst Black, Mo, and Survival Of The Thickest as well as new series The Spot starring Kate Winslet, Overcompensating with Benito Skinner, Margo’s Got Money Troubles with Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman, and Friday The 13 prequel Crystal Lake.