“Insurgent” screenwriter Brian Duffield and Nicki Cortese have launched Jurassic Party, a new production company that has just signed a first-look deal with Awesomeness Films to produce young adult content, TheWrap has learned.
“We are excited to welcome Jurassic Party into the Awesomeness family and dive into this collaboration,” said Matt Kaplan, president of Awesomeness Films. “Brian and Nicki are two of the most talented writers and producers in the business.”
“Nicki did the flowers for my wedding, so obviously the next logical step was starting a company together,” said Duffield. “I’m thrilled to work with my friends at Awesomeness and help great people make great movies.”
Duffield made a splash with his scripts “Your Bridesmaid Is a Bitch” and “Jane Got a Gun,” the latter which drew the attention of Natalie Portman, who stars in and produced the upcoming film. He went on to write the “Divergent” sequel “Insurgent” as well as “Monster Problems” and McG‘s “The Babysitter,” which Duffield is currently executive producing.
Cortese most recently spent two years at Red Wagon where she worked on “The Craft” reboot and “Matriarch.” She joined Red Wagon after a six-year stint at Akiva Goldsman‘s Weed Road Pictures.
The partnership was brought in by Awesomeness Films executive Max Siemers and comes on the heels of the studio’s recent casting announcement for “Before I Fall,” which will star Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Logan Miller and Kian Lawley. Awesomeness release “Smosh: The Movie” opened atop the iTunes movie comedy charts, while “Expelled” also debuted as the top film on all of iTunes. The company’s upcoming films include “Shovel Buddies” with Bella Thorne and the documentary “Snervous Tyler Oakley.”
Duffield is represented by the Gersh Agency, Circle of Confusion and attorney Howard Abramson, while Cortese is repped by attorney Todd Weinstein.