‘Homecoming’ Creators Ink Overall Deal With Universal Cable Prods

Homecoming creators Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg have signed an overall deal with Universal Cable Productions, the studio behind the upcoming Amazon series starring Julia Roberts.

Under the pact, Horowitz and Bloomberg will develop original scripted programming with UCP for the NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment portfolio, as well as for external networks and streaming services.

Homecoming, co-produced by UCP and Amazon Studios, will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, September 7, and its streaming premiere on Amazon Prime Video on November 2.

Horowitz and Bloomberg serve as co-showrunners, executive producers and writers of Homecoming, which is based on the duo’s critically-praised Gimlet Media podcast of the same name. The half-hour drama received a two-season straight-to-series order at Amazon last year.

Directed and executive produced by Sam Esmail, Homecoming is a psychological thriller that centers on Heidi Bergman (Roberts), a caseworker at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center, a Geist Group facility helping soldiers transition back to civilian life. Walter Cruz (Stephan James) is one of these soldiers, eager to begin the next phase of his life. Overseeing Heidi and the facility is Colin Belfast (Bobby Cannavale), an ambitious company man whose manic demands point to questionable motives. Four years later, Heidi has started a new life, living with her mother (Sissy Spacek) and working as a small-town waitress, when a Department of Defense auditor (Shea Whigham) comes to her with questions about why she left the Homecoming facility. Heidi begins to realize that there’s a whole other story behind the story she’s been telling herself.

Horowitz is the co-creator of The Silent History, a digital novel; The Clock Without a Face, a treasure-hunt mystery; and Everything You Know Is Pong, an illustrated cultural history of table tennis. He was the managing editor and then publisher of McSweeney’s; his design work has been honored by I.D., Print and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Previously, Horowitz wrote science trivia questions based on popular films of the 1990s and was briefly employed as an apprentice carpenter.

Bloomberg began his career as a production sound mixer, and has worked on films such as Martha Marcy May Marlene, Obvious Child and All Is Lost, for which he received a BAFTA Film Award nomination. Bloomberg’s screenwriting credits include Stand Clear of the Closing Doors, which won a Jury Prize at the Tribeca Film Festival, and the film Creative Control, which was in competition at South by Southwest.

“Eli and Micah are incredibly talented storytellers,” said Elise Henderson, SVPt, Development, Universal Cable Productions. “Their creativity is unmatched, and we’re so excited to continue working with them on the next season of Homecoming, and beyond.”

Horowitz and Bloomberg join UCP’s roster of overall deals including Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot, Homecoming, Briarpatch, Angelyne), who directs all ten episodes of Homecoming; Patrick Macmanus (Happy!, Slaughterhouse-Five); Nick Antosca (The Act); Allison Miller (Metropolis); Steve Blackman (The , Umbrella Academy); Kyle Long (Run, Bambi, Run); and Liz Sarnoff.

“We are so excited to continue working with the Universal Cable Productions team,” said Horowitz and Bloomberg. “They have been great partners bringing our podcast Homecoming to the screen, and we look forward to continue collaborating on future projects.”

Horowitz is repped by CAA and Jackoway Austen. Bloomberg is repped by UTA and Sloss Eckhouse LawCo.