‘Maniac’ Creator Patrick Somerville Inks Overall Deal With Paramount TV, Will Shepherd ‘Made for Love’ TV Adaptation

Paramount Television has signed an overall deal with writer-producer Patrick Somerville, creator of the studio’s high-profile new Netflix dark comedy series Maniac, starring Emma Stone and Jonah Hill and directed by Cary Fukunaga.

Under the two-year pact, Somerville will develop new TV and digital projects exclusively for Paramount TV. The company recently acquired Alissa Nutting’s novel Made For Love to develop as a TV series, with Somerville overseeing Nutting and Dean Bakopoulos (Summerlong) who are attached to write.

Described as combining the witty feel of Jill Soloway’s take on dysfunctional families on Transparent with the intelligent, satirical  and big-hearted style of George Saunders, Made For Love delves into the complexities and impossible expectations of modern relationships.

Somerville wrote and executive produces Maniac, based on the 2014 Norwegian series. It revolves around the fantasy worlds of Hill and Stone’s characters.  

Somerville, who is also an author, has worked on such TV series as HBO’s The Leftovers, FX’s The Bridge and Fox’s 24: Live Amother Day. He is repped by WME, Principato-Young Entertainment and attorneys Jamie Mandelbaum and Jeff Hynick.

Nutting ‘s other novel, Tampa, is in development at HBO with Harmony Korine writing and directing, and her spec pilot, Teenage Euthanasia, co-written with Alyson Levy, just sold to Adult Swim. She is repped by WME and Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. Bakopoulos is repped by WME and PYE.