Hulu Series Orders Include ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ Adaptation From Mindy Kaling
Hulu has given a series order to Mindy Kaling’s new adaptation of “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” while the streaming service has also greenlit a sitcom from comedian Ramy Youssef, to be executive produced by Jerrod Carmichael.
The pickups were among the announcements made this morning at Hulu’s annual upfront presentation to advertisers, taking place at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Among other news: Hulu has sealed a new deal with DreamWorks Animation, which kicks into gear with new original series in 2020.
“Four Weddings and a Funeral” and “Ramy” are part of an upcoming Hulu slate that also includes newcomers “Castle Rock,” “Catch-22,” “The First” and “Little Fires Everywhere.”
Kaling and her “The Mindy Project” partner Matt Warburton are behind the limited series adaptation of “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” MGM Television is the lead studio on the project, which will also be produced by Universal TV (where Kaling is based).
Based on the 1994 British romantic comedy film, the new series “will follow a group of friends as their lives intersect through five events.” Kaling and Warburton executive produce with Jonathan Prince, Howard Klein (3 Arts), Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (Working Title).
As for “Ramy,” the comedy is based on the real-life experiences of comedian Ramy Youssef. Per Hulu, “the series takes viewers into the world of Ramy, a first generation American Muslim who is on a spiritual journey in his politically-divided New Jersey neighborhood. Ramy will bring a new perspective to the screen as it explores the challenges of what it’s like being caught in between an Egyptian community that thinks life is moral a test, and a millennial generation that thinks life has no consequences.”
Youssef will write, executive produce and star in the series, which he created with Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch. The three of them are executive producers with Jerrod Carmichael and A24’s Ravi Nandan.
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Then there’s the DreamWorks Animation pact, which will make Hulu the exclusive streamer for the studio’s theatrical releases starting in 2019 — including “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” “The Boss Baby 2” and “Trolls 2.”
Also, once they become available, DreamWorks Animation library titles such as “Shrek” and “Shark Tale” will move to Hulu.
DreamWorks Animation Television will premiere original kids and family series for the platform, inspired by DreamWorks franchises and films, starting in 2020. That’s the first time Hulu has developed original kids and family series with a major studio. DreamWorks Animation Television is already a major supplier of kids and family programming for Netflix (“Tollhunters,” “All Hail King Julien”).
In other news, Hulu has pacted with Sony Pictures Television to be the exclusive streaming home for ABC’s hit “The Good Doctor.” That means future episodes will become available the day after their original broadcast on ABC. Hulu pointed out that this follows last year’s announcement that NBC’s “This Is Us,” another breakout drama hit, would come to Hulu as its exclusive streaming home.
