20th Century Fox Television has locked in “This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman for another five years, the studio announced on Thursday.
Fogelman’s last deal with the studio was set to expire at the end of the season, making him one of the hottest targets for streamers and traditional studios alike in recent months, amid the race to lure big-name showrunners with high-dollar exclusive contracts. “This Is Us” remains one of the biggest success stories on broadcast television in recent memory, making Fogelman an especially sought-after creator.
Though 20th Century Fox TV and Fogelman’s reps wouldn’t comment on the specifics of the pact, an individual with knowledge of the financials tells TheWrap it’s in the nine-figure range.
The new five-year deal comes a little over a month after 20th Century Fox Television officially came under Disney ownership, bringing Fogelman back into the fold just a few years after exiting his former home at ABC Studios.
“I continue to be so grateful to my incredible partners at 20th – Peter Rice, Dana Walden, Jonnie Davis, Howard Kurtzman and every single person at the studio whom I’ve been fortunate enough to work with these past four years,” Fogelman said in a statement. “It has been the best partnership of my career, I’ve never felt so supported, and I am beyond excited to begin this next chapter at Disney.”
“Dan Fogelman is everything you could want in a creator — inventive, collaborative, wise, funny, unbelievably talented and improbably humble,” said Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment chairman Dana Walden. “He has devoted his heart and soul to every perfect episode of ‘This is Us.’ He deserves every bit of the success he’s enjoying right now and Craig, Jonnie, Howard and I consider ourselves lottery winners to be in business with him.”
Fogelman is the latest showrunner to re-up or sign with the studio in the four weeks since the merger. He follows “New Girl” creator Liz Meriwether, “Daredevil” creator Drew Goddard, “Pretty Little Liars” showrunner I. Marlene King and Octavia Spencer, among others.