Imagine Entertainment presidents Tony Hernandez and Lilly Burns announced Monday that veteran television executive Kristen Zolner has joined the company as head of Imagine Television, where she will oversee all scripted television development and production for the company.
As Netflix director of Original Series, she shepherded hit shows including “Emily in Paris,” “Dead To Me,” “Big Mouth,” Maniac,” and “Master of None,” as well as “Uncoupled” with Neil Patrick Harris and upcoming “The Pentaverate” starring Mike Myers.
“We have worked with Kristen across many shows for years, and have always been wildly impressed by her taste and creative instincts. We are confident in her ability to push boundaries and deliver ground-breaking television,” said Hernandez and Burns in a joint statement.
“Joining this incredibly creative team at Imagine is a dream come true. Brian [Grazer] and Ron [Howard] are behind many of my favorite series and films, and their repeated innovation in the TV landscape is inspiring. Having worked with Tony and Lilly for years, I’m thrilled to be partnering with them more closely to continue thinking outside the box and supporting great storytellers and creators,” said Zolner.
Before departing for Imagine, Zolner optioned Michelle Buteau’s best-selling book bout a stand-up artist, “Survival of The Thickest,” which has been greenlit to series for Netflix. She also helped program 25 original stand-up specials for the streaming giant.
Prior to that, Zolner served as a development executive at Amazon Studios, where she oversaw award-winning dramedy “Transparent,” as well as crime drama “Bosch,” the studio’s longest-running original series to date.
Imagine Television recently produced and released “Genius: Aretha” for NatGeo, “Why Women Kil: Season 2 ” for CBS All Access, “Swagger” for Apple TV+, Hulu’s “Wu-Tang: An American Saga Season 2, and “Ms. Pat” for BET+.