In an unusual move, the American subsidiary of British television production company ITV Studios, ITV America, has signed an exclusive overall deal with literary manager and producer Sharlene Martin and the Martin Literary & Media Management.
The deal allows ITV to option any unscripted projects based on the literary works of Martin’s clients, who are primarily crime writers. Those clients include: Anthony Flacco (Impossible Odds: The Kidnapping of Jessica Buchanan and Her Dramatic Rescue by SEAL Team Six, which is currently in development as a feature for Warner Bros., with Clint Eastwood slated to direct); Shanna Hogan (Pictures Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story); and Andy Caldwell (Room 1203: O.J. Simpson’s Las Vegas Conviction, which served as the basis for September’s ITV America/Martin collaboration, the A&E documentary O.J.: Guilty in Vegas.
"Sharlene represents some of the leading authors of our time whose thrilling stories of real life events remind us why the crime genre continues to fascinate readers and audiences alike," Ed Simpson, executive v-p of business development and international at ITV America, said in a statement. "It’s our pleasure to partner with her to bring a broad range of compelling events and characters to multiple platforms in the unscripted arena."
Martin launched Martin Literary in 2003 and was the co-creator and producer of Deadly Sins for Discovery ID, which just concluded its sixth season, and has produced a number of other specials based on her clients’ books.
