Jenji Kohan Inks New Deal With Lionsgate

Weeds creator Jenji Kohan has signed a new overall deal with Lionsgate, the studio behind her long-running Showtime comedy series. Under the pact, Kohan will continue as showrunner and executive producer of dark comedy Weeds, which is set to begin production on its eighth season soon for a July 1 premiere. She also co-created with Liz Friedman and is executive producing Lionsgate’s series for Netflix Orange Is The New Black. The comedic drama, based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison, is set to begin production this fall. “Jenji’s deliciously dark sense of humor and her fearless approach to storytelling have made Weeds Showtime’s highest-rated comedy over its past seven seasons,” said Kevin Beggs, President, Lionsgate TV Group. “She’s a superb showrunner and we’re excited to continue working together on the new season of Weeds, Orange Is The New Black and multiple projects in development.” CAA-repped Kohan has now been at Lionsgate for more than seven years, so she understandably is on a first-name basis with the company’s TV bigwigs, Beggs and Lionsgate TV COO Sandra Stern, and also knows well the big boss, Lionsgate Entertainment CEO Jon Feltheimer. “Kevin is classy. Sandra is sassy. Feltheimer is an endless source of wonder. What can I say?  Lionsgate is my joint, yo,” she said in reference to her new deal.