Gulfstream Pictures Brings In Juliana Janes As Head Of Television

Three months after launching a television division, Warner Bros-based production and financing company Gulfstream Pictures has hired Vandalia Films’ Juliana Janes to run it. Serving as SVP Television, Janes will report to Gulfstream Pictures partners Mike Karz and Bill Bindley, who had been spearheading the company’s TV efforts, including setting up scripts at Warner Bros. TV over the past few of years and signing of a two-year overall deal with the TV studio in April.

Under the deal, the company is set to develop and produce TV projects for network, cable and digital, which Janes will oversee. Gulfstream’s first project is a high-profile one that had taken three years to get off the ground — animated series adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic Green Eggs And Ham, which has landed a rich 13-episode order at Netflix, with A Very Good Production and A Stern Talking To producing alongside Gulfstream and Warner Bros Animation. Warner Bros. Television is distributing the series, slated for a 2018 premiere.

“Since expanding our relationship formally into television with Warner Bros., we were eager to bring on-board the right executive to lead the way and break new ground for Gulfstream Television, and we found the perfect fit with Juliana, whose sensibilities are in sync with our own,” said Karz, who has TV background — he co-created and executive produced the 2002 reality series The Jamie Kennedy Experiment. “Her hands-on experience launching a new company is also a tremendous asset to our growing team.”

For the past decade, Janes was partnered with Jennifer Garner at Vandalia Films, which Janes founded with the actress in 2005 after four years of working together. At Vandalia, Janes developed TV and feature projects and oversaw the company’s overall deal with WBTV.

“Juliana has broad experience with comedy, drama and unscripted television, and great relationships with talent, as well as the Warners executives,” Bindley said.

Added Janes, “I have so enjoyed working with the Warners executives so this seems an ideal move for me to a bigger company, and literally a walk across the lot.”

On the feature side, Gulfstream Pictures has been based at Warner Bros. since 2012 with a two-year first-look deal that was renewed last year. The company is in preproduction on Garry Marshall’s Mother’s Day starring Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Jason Sudeikis.

Gulfstream previously produced Blended with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore for Warners. Gulfstream’s first animated production, 3-D indie The Nut Job, grossed nearly $120 million in global box office, triggering a sequel, now in production. The company’s upcoming film projects for Warners include King David, based on Rabbi David Wolpe’s book David: The Divided Heart, about the biblical hero.