Chris Long & David Ayer Team for Film & TV Studio

Chris Long, former programming chief at Audience Network, and filmmaker David Ayer have come together to form Cedar Park Entertainment, an independent studio that will work across both film and TV.

Cedar Park plans to own its content, building a catalog of feature films, documentaries and series. The studio will create content across a variety of distribution platforms, from VOD and premium channels to theatrical and beyond.

Its first TV project, Family Crimes, is written by Ayer and produced in conjunction with Jerry Bruckheimer Television. It recently received a production commitment from Starz. The series follows a young privileged Latina who must reinvent herself in order to save her family when the feds close in on their business with the Mexican mob.

Long stepped down as programming chief at Audience Network last month after 18 years. Ayer most recently directed Netflix’s feature film Bright, starring Will Smith, Joel Edgerton and Noomi Rapace. He will return to write and direct the sequel, Bright 2.

“After years as a buyer, I wanted to get back to producing content and being involved in all areas of the creative process,” said Long. “David and I share like-minded sensibilities and a common work ethic. We are passionate about the idea of creating a studio that will push the envelope and dive into the authentic, raw drama of what is really going on in the country today. We want to tell compelling, visceral stories about real life—and the things people aren’t talking about.”

Ayer added, “I am excited to apply the lessons I’ve learned in 20 years in business as a writer, director and producer to Cedar Park. Chris and I will work closely to tell compelling stories with reality and a little bit of edge that we hope will resonate with all audiences.”