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2 months ago
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EXCLUSIVE: Linden Productions has hired veteran producer and executive Deanna Barillari as SVP of Development and Production, Deadline has learned.
Barillari joins after consulting in Physical Production at MGM Features and serving as VP of Production and Development for Wishmore Entertainment. In her new role, she will continue to build out the Linden’s diverse slate across film and television.
As part of the company expansion, Mia Samuels is also being promoted to Creative Executive.
Most recently, Barillari produced Chelsea Peretti’s directorial debut, First Time Female Director, for Fox Entertainment Studios alongside Amy Poehler and her Paper Kite Productions. Other feature credits include Argyris Papadimitropolous’ Monday, starring Sebastian Stan, which received Greece’s Iris Award nomination in the category of Best Picture; Steve Basilone’s Long Weekend for Sony Pictures; and Phyllis Nagy’s Call Jane starring Elizabeth Banks for Roadside Attractions. Barillari has also worked closely with auteur Paul Thomas Anderson, including on his ’70s San Fernando Valley romance Licorice Pizza.
Barillari is a member of the IAMA Theatre Company, the Ovation Award-winning non-profit organization where Shonda Rhimes has championed early-career playwrights as Patron of the Arts. Also a former Sundance Creative Producing, Catalyst and Film Independent Project Involve Producing Fellow, she started her career in television and has worked in Drama Development at both Universal Television and Tandem Productions.
Since joining Linden Productions in 2022, Samuels has worked closely alongside producer Riva Marker on projects like the Peabody Award-winning HBO title Reality, starring Sydney Sweeney, and Peacock’s holiday fantasy comedy Genie starring Melissa McCarthy. Dedicated to discovering and championing new writers and filmmakers and to bringing subversive, unexpected, and thoughtful stories to screen, she’s previously worked for literary scout Marcy Drogin, Jupiter Entertainment, Big Beach, and WME in the literary department.
Linden Productions is the production arm of Linden Entertainment, which was founded in 2020 by Nicole King and Stacy O’Neil. They lead the company alongside Partner JoAnne Colonna and Marker, who serves as CEO of Production. Most recently, Linden Productions produced David Adjmi’s play Stereophonic, which last month took home five Tony Awards including Best Play. Last season, they co-produced Alex Timbers and David Byrne’s Broadway musical Here Lies Love.
In film, Linden has thus far produced the aforementioned Reality and Genie, as well as the Netflix family comedy Family Switch starring Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms. Projects in development include Jen Silverman’s feature adaptation of the Sarah Blakely Cartwright novel Alice Sadie Celine; the new Boondock Saints film, with Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery returning, on which we were first to report; a biopic of Mexican actress and singer Maria Felix starring Eiza Gonzalez; the sequel to Garner’s 2021 Netflix chart-topper Yes Day; and the Garner-produced and led Mrs. Claus, with Netflix and Hello Sunshine.
