Maya Rudolph’s newly formed production company, Banana Split Projects, has landed a multi-year, first-look deal with Apple TV+, the streamer announced Thursday.
Under the deal, Banana Split Projects, which is run by Rudolph and Danielle Renfrew Behrens, will develop and produce series as well as digital features for the streamer. Amid the new deal, Banana Split has named Tara Riedl as creative executive.
Behrens previously worked alongside Rudolph and Natasha Lyonne as president of their former production company, Animal Pictures. Their collaborations include Prime Video’s “The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy,” which is currently filming its second season, “Crush,” “Sarah Cooper: Everything’s Fine,” “Sirens,” “Poker Face” Season 1 and upcoming release “His Three Daughters.” Riedl also worked on “Loot,” “Poker Face” and “Russian Doll.”
“This is an exciting day. We are thrilled to be at Apple TV+ and look forward to continuing our incredibly supportive relationship with them as we embark on this new chapter,” Rudolph and Behrens said in a joint statement. “And we are so happy to have a home that allows us to create the kinds of things that we want to see.”
Rudolph and Lyonne founded Animal Pictures in 2018, and the collaborators announced in October 2023 they had parted ways as producing partners, with Lyonne continuing to produce projects under the banner while Rudolph operated independently.
“We will continue to support each other and remain committed to the various projects we’ve developed together and have in the pipeline. We are excited for each other and what the future holds,” Rudolph and Lyonne said in a joint statement obtained by TheWrap at the time.
Rudolph shared in a Town & Country interview that she had overexerted herself during her time running Animal Pictures, saying, “I like working, but I don’t like killing myself.”
Banana Split Projects is represented by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof & Fishman.
Deadline first reported the news.
