Warner Bros. Renews Pact with Chuck Lorre

BURBANK: Warner Bros. Television and writer/producer Chuck Lorre have signed a new, exclusive, multi-year development and production agreement.

The four-year deal sees Lorre developing new TV programming, continuing to write and produce comedies while also expanding into drama series and potential long-form projects. This is for both the broadcast network and cable space, via his Chuck Lorre Productions banner. He will continue to serve as the executive producer of Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Mike & Molly. The pact includes a component for feature films potentially written, developed and/or directed by Lorre. All current and future TV projects from Lorre will be produced in association with either Warner Bros. Television or Warner Horizon Television. Warner Bros. International Television Distribution will handle distribution for the projects.

Peter Roth, the president of Warner Bros. Television, said: “Chuck Lorre is the quintessential comedy writer/producer of our time, the most successful creator/showrunner of the last 25 years in this business. We are so incredibly excited—and honored—to be continuing our partnership with him. Chuck has had a profound impact on Warner Bros. Television over the last 12 years, and we look forward to a long and successful future relationship.”

Lorre commented: “I’m proud to say that at twelve years and counting, my relationship with Warner Bros. is now officially longer than either of my marriages. With that in mind, it seemed appropriate to extend our little corporate love affair and try for ‘until death do us part.’ I’m also excited to have an opportunity to venture into the world of drama. After writing and producing sitcoms for twenty years, it’ll be a welcome relief to take all the violence, insanity and human suffering from behind the cameras and put it out front. And finally, the feature component of this new deal allows me to fulfill a lifelong ambition—to have a project in ‘turnaround.’”