Netflix and Shonda Rhimes Expand Creative Pact

After the global record-breaking success of Bridgerton, Netflix and prolific producer Shonda Rhimes are extending their creative content relationship. A new pact expands the current deal with Rhimes, her company Shondaland as well as her long-standing producing partner Betsy Beers.

The newly expanded partnership will give Netflix and Shondaland Media the opportunity to exclusively produce, stream and distribute feature films as well potential gaming and virtual reality content. The pact currently includes a branding and merchandise deal for Shondaland Media content, which will now add live events and experiences.

As an integral piece of the newly expanded overall deal, Netflix is investing in and providing the financial and technical infrastructure to support Shondaland’s mission to create DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility) programs that can increase industry workplace representation for underrepresented groups both domestically and in the UK. More details will be announced at a later time.

Inspired by the best-selling series of romance novels by Julia Quinn, Shondaland’s Bridgerton went on to smash Netflix records as it was watched by 82 Million member households around the world in its first 28 days. Shondaland once again established a powerful franchise well-known to audiences around the world using the formerly unembraced romance genre now well-known to audiences around the world.

Bridgerton Season 2 is currently in production and set to launch in 2022. Netflix has already renewed the series for Seasons 3 and 4.

It was also recently announced that the “Bridgerton-verse” will expand with an all-new limited series based on the origins of Queen Charlotte. While the series will center on the rise of a young Queen Charlotte, it will also tell the stories of young Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury. Shonda Rhimes will write the series and serve as executive producer alongside Betsy Beers and Tom Verica. An official title and more details will be revealed at a later time.

The upcoming series Inventing Anna which was created by Rhimes and executive produced by Rhimes and Betsy Beers, is set to release in 2022. The Shondaland limited series stars Julia Garner, Anna Chlumsky, Katie Lowes, Laverne Cox and Alexis Floyd. David Frankel directs the first episode.

Shondaland Media’s Netflix documentary Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker chronicling the legendary choreographer ​and director ​Debbie Allen premiered on Netflix in November 2020.

Shonda Rhimes said: “When Ted and I decided to break the traditional network TV business model to move Shondaland to Netflix, we were both taking a leap into the unknown. Today, Shondaland at Netflix is creatively thriving, profitable as an asset and engaging audiences around the world with stories that fearlessly challenge viewers and keep them highly entertained all at once. Ted, Bela and the entire team at Netflix have been tremendous partners during every step of the process, supporting my creative vision and showing a continued dedication to the innovation that has made Netflix such a powerhouse. The Shondaland team and I are thrilled and excited to be expanding our relationship with our content partners at Netflix.”

Bela Bajaria says: “Shonda makes shows that get the world talking, and we’ve seen the power of her creative vision to translate in any language. Shonda’s a brilliant businesswoman and a terrific partner and we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with her for years to come. On a personal note, I’m especially invested in the mentorship and pipeline programs we will support, as I’ve seen firsthand how the power of mentorship can transform careers and lives — and I’m excited by the possibility of what that can look like in Shonda’s hands.”

Shondaland is the global media company founded by award-winning writer and producer Shonda Rhimes. The company creates content that fearlessly challenges and entertains audiences. Shondaland has an exclusive partnership with Netflix where it produces streaming content for the media company, including record-breaking series “Bridgerton,” “Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker,” and upcoming series “Inventing Anna” and “Notes on Love.” In recent years the company has expanded to produce content beyond television and streaming. In 2017, Shondaland launched the editorial website Shondaland.com. In partnership with Hearst Digital Media, the website features empowering and inspirational stories as well as first person essays and culture coverage. In 2019, Shondaland Audio was created in partnership with iHeart Radio. Comprised of both scripted and unscripted content, Shondaland Audio is the home for entertaining, inclusive and informative podcasts. Shondaland was launched in 2005 with the groundbreaking series “Grey’s Anatomy.”