Mitch Hurwitz Inks Multi-Year Deal With Netflix For New Series

EXCLUSIVE: Mitch Hurwitz is staying in the Netflix fold with a multi-year deal, a rare pact with a writer-producer for the streaming giant. Under the multi-tier agreement, the Arrested Development creator will create and produce new original series for the Internet TV network through his banner The Hurwitz Company. Additionally, he will develop projects with other creators as a non-writing executive producer and will consult for Netflix on comedy series. Hurwitz first worked with Netflix on a new season of his Emmy-winning comedy series Arrested Development, which was released last year. “We are lucky to be in business with Mitch Hurwitz, a true genius with one of the most distinctive voices in comedy today,” said Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. “Mitch’s inventive approach to Arrested Development — one of the top TV comedies of this generation — was ahead of its time, and we’re fortunate to have him on our team.”

Related: Netflix Says It May Raise Prices For New Customers

After winning six Emmys for its three-year run on Fox from 2003-06 — including three for Hurwitz, for best series and two for writing — Arrested Development‘s fourth season on Netflix earned three more Emmy nominations for the show, bringing the total to 25. Hurwitz executive produced and co-directed Season 4, and it was that collaboration with Netflix, which Hurwitz describes as being “the best professional experience of my life, even topping some of my favorite unprofessional experiences,” that led to the new deal. “It is incredibly inspiring to get to produce for Netflix, a company that not only doesn’t resist change but is leaps and bounds ahead of everyone in forging it,” Hurwitz said. “The fact that I’m also getting one month of their streaming right to my TV or Xbox free … well, it really takes the sting out of buying that Xbox.”

The Netflix deal focuses on creating new series for the streaming service. As for Arrested Development, there have been conversations between Netflix, Hurwitz and the series’ producers 20th TV and Imagine TV about doing more, possibly in the form of an original movie or another season, though there isn’t anything tangible on that front yet.

Hurwitz, repped by CAA and Principato Young, previously was a co-founder and partner with Eric and Kim Tannenbaum at Tantamount Studios — a production banner based at Sony Pictures TV, where he created and executive produced such series as Running Wilde with Will Arnett and animated comedy Sit Down, Shut Up. Previously, he co-created The Ellen Show and created Everything’s Relative. Hurwitz began his career at the top independent comedy production company Witt-Thomas-Harris, first as a development executive, before going on to write for and produce the The Golden Girls.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.