John Ridley has extended his current deal with ABC for an additional three years, the network announced Wednesday.
Ridley, who created the Emmy-winning series “American Crime” and won an Oscar for his “12 Years a Slave” screenplay, and his production arm, International Famous Players Radio Picture Corporation, also have a first-look arrangement with Disney and its related entities for any feature film project that Ridley develops or writes during the term of the deal.
In addition, the deal also allows Ridley to expand his company in the coming months with the hiring of a dedicated development executive. Ridley’s pilot “Presence” for ABC Studios begins production next week in Los Angeles.
The second season of “American Crime” premieres Jan. 6 on ABC. In Season 2, lurid photos of a high school boy are posted on social media following a school party, causing issues of sexuality, economic disparity and athletic elitism to boil over when standout basketball players from a prestigious private high school are accused of sexual assault.