EXCLUSIVE: Jesse Murphy, a former scripted executive at Wayans Alvarez Productions, has partnered with James Sears Bryant, founder of National Litigation Law Group and former president of ProServ Basketball, to form Jesse James Films. The two first collaborated on Only Human, the satirical Off-Broadway musical.
The Culver City-based newly formed production company is backed by a seven-figure intellectual property fund. Murphy will oversee development and the formation of strategic partnerships with first-look term deals that do not have discretionary funding.
Projects currently in development include a horror anthology series about an insomnia pandemic based on the book Sleep Over by H.G. Bells. Stephen Susco (The Grudge) is set to adapt with Ryan Lewis and Broken Road Productions producing; a limited series (produced with MadRiver Pictures), titled, Nightbird based on the New York Times Book of Note, Girls, by Frederick Busch with a screenplay by Anthony Tambakis (Warrior) and Joe Berlinger (Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile) attached to direct; as well as a television series adapted from Image Comic’s MCMLXXV, by Joe Casey, which also is being produced by Marlon Wayans and Rick Alvarez via Ugly Baby Entertainment.
Their film slate includes an adaptation of Confidential Source Ninety-Six: The Making of America’s Preeminent Confidential Informant from the novel by C.S. 96. Peter Landesman (Concussion) will pen the screenplay and 3 Arts Entertainment is producing.
“In short, we are a traditional production company with an intellectual property fund,” said Murphy. “We’re actively acquiring and developing properties while simultaneously partnering on projects that are brought to us.”
Said Bryant, “Jesse and I suffer from the same creative itch. It’s our mission to match the most elevated global content with the town’s most exciting voices…and have some fun doing it.”
Jesse James Films is repped by 3 Arts Entertainment with Jay Shanker of Crowe & Dunlevy.
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