HBO Max Signs First-Look Deal with Salma Hayek’s Ventanarosa

HBO Max has entered into a first-look deal with actress, executive producer and Academy Award nominee Salma Hayek, founder and CEO of Ventanarosa, alongside a separate partnership with Love Is Blind showrunner Sam Dean.

As part of the collaboration with Ventanarosa, Hayek will first bring projects to HBO Max for potential development. Jose Tamez, president of Ventanarosa, serves as her producing partner, and Siobhan Flynn is head of production and development.

HBO Max also inked a first-look overall deal with showrunner and executive producer Sam Dean (Love Is Blind). In addition to Dean’s future assignments as showrunner for HBO Max projects, her deal includes first-look rights on all her owned or controlled concepts for her unscripted programming for all platforms. She recently wrapped production as showrunner for the upcoming HBO Max unscripted series 12 Dates of Christmas.

Both deals are for a two-year period.

“We are delighted to welcome the exceptionally multitalented powerhouse Salma Hayek and Ventanarosa into the HBO Max family,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content for HBO Max.

“Ventanarosa has a history of bringing the most lively and rich stories to life and we are eager to hear all of the wonderful ideas that will be borne out of this partnership,” added Joey Chavez, executive vice president of original drama at HBO Max.

Hayek commented, “We are thrilled to be joining HBO Max and WarnerMedia. Their team of passionate, talented and open-minded executives are a great support in our mission to make high-quality global television that explores and celebrates diversity and inclusivity.”

“Sam is an outstanding unscripted storyteller and a top-tier showrunner,” said Jennifer O’Connell, executive VP of original nonfiction and kids’ programming. “After working with Sam on our reality rom-com, 12 Dates of Christmas, it was clear that her ability to tell stories with heart, humor and a wink to the audience made her a perfect fit for HBO Max. We count ourselves lucky to be in business with a producer of her caliber.”

Dean added, “I am really looking forward to working with HBO Max; it’s a new and ambitious platform with an unlimited appetite to create fresh and innovative content, yet it also brings with it WarnerMedia’s history of excellence that has continually kept them at the forefront of creativity and storytelling. It’s a great time to get involved as an unscripted producer. I feel blessed to be joining an incredibly strong and talented team, who I admire greatly and have loved collaborating with on 12 Dates of Christmas. I am excited to get started on new projects.”