WEEDS and ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK creator Jenji Kohan has just inked an overall deal with Netflix to make the top-tier streaming service the producer's exclusive creative home for new content and other projects.The move to secure Kohan's creative endevours comes shortly on the heels of another huge get for Netflix, after locking down an exclusive deal with former ABC Studios contributor Shonda Rhimes in August for any projects that she might have in the pipeline.
Both contracts mark a shift in the streamer's strategy to guarantee in-demand content for the service during a time when competitor companies are on the rise. These days, you can scarcely go a day without hearing that Amazon has green-lit a new series, or that Disney has announced yet another exclusive project to debut on their forthcoming streamer set to arrive in late 2019. While Netflix used to be master of its own domain, the service will now have to land a series of smart investments if they're to remain toward the top of the streaming service food chain.
Over the past several years, Kohan has proven herself as a woman of many talents, who time and again has contributed to and delivered a myriad of chart-topping content hits. While WEEDS and ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK are the jewels in Kohan's crown, it's also to be noted that she's also a producing contributor to GLOW, Netflix's original series based on a group of women who performed as female wrestlers in the 1980s.
Recently, Netflix VP of original content Cindy Holland stated, “Bold, outspoken and totally fearless, Jenji has constantly raised the bar for storytelling at Netflix. She possesses a rare and special talent to say what’s unspoken, choose the unexpected over the safe and drive the cultural conversation – and audiences love her for it,” Indeed they do! I was a big fan of WEEDS for the first several seasons, as well as ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK for a time as well. I've yet to give GLOW an honest-to-goodness shot, though I've heard good things from several of my friends who are far more devote toward wrestling than I'll ever be. Here's hoping the deal leads to some great, new content!