Shonda Rhimes is staying put at Netflix, with the superproducer and her Shondaland production banner renewing their overall deal with the streamer for a further five years.
Rhimes and her producing partner, Betsy Beers, has been based at Netflix since 2017.
Bela Bajaria, Netflixâs chief content officer, said of the renewal, âI am thrilled to extend our partnership with the incomparable Shonda Rhimes. Few creative partnerships have shown whatâs possible when a singular vision meets a global stage: stories that become genuine phenomena, shaping fashion, music and culture far beyond the screen. Nearly a decade in, this partnership keeps proving that Shondaâs instincts arenât just brilliant storytelling â theyâre a blueprint for what a hit can become. We couldnât be prouder to remain the home where Shondaland continues to surprise and entertain audiences around the world.â
Shondalandâs biggest show to date on Netflix is âBridgerton,â which recently aired its fourth season and has already been renewed for a fifth. It is one of the most popular showâs in Netflix history, with Seasons 1 and 3 ranking in the Top 10 Netflix shows of all time with 113.3 million views and 106 million views respectively. Per Netflix, Season 4 pulled in over 100 million views, while the streamer also previously aired the popular prequel series âQueen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.â
âI am excited to extend our relationship with Netflix. For almost a decade, Netflix has provided Shondaland with the autonomy and support to tell our kind of storiesâstories that both entertain and reflect diversity and humanity in a way that resonates with audiences around the world,â Rhimes said. âI am so thankful to Ted, Bela and the entire Netflix team for their continued partnership, trust and enthusiasm. Letâs GO!â
In addition to serving as the exclusive home to Shondaland film and TV projects, the overall deal also covers gaming, merchandise, and live events connected to the IP. Netflix will also continue to support Shondalandâs inclusion initiatives like Ladder Program, to help train underrepresented below the line creatives.
In addition to âBridgerton,â Shondalandâs other projects with Netflix include the hit limited series âInventing Annaâ starring Julia Garner as Anna Delvey, the murder mystery âThe Residenceâ starring Uzo Aduba, the Emmy-winning documentary âBlack Barbie,â and âDance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker,â Shondalandâs documentary chronicling legendary choreographer and director Debbie Allen.