Courtney Kemp, showrunner of hit television series Power, has changed house, leaving Lionsgate Television where she had made the series into a franchise and crossing over to Netflix in a multi-year overall deal. Under this deal, Kemp and her End of Episode production company will create and develop new series and other projects at the streamer.
Word around town has it that Kemp’s deal at the streamer is valued in the high eight-figure range with bonuses that could elevate it to nine figures.
Power ended last year, and four other spinoffs are in various stages of production: Power Book II: Ghost already renewed for a second season; Book III: Raising Kanan also earned an early second season pickup; Book IV: Force set for 2022; Book V: Influence status is still unclear.
“I am incredibly excited to join the Netflix family, and to continue to develop the kind of entertainment that End of Episode is known for — diverse, multilingual, watercooler, social-media fueled series that packs a serious punch,” Kemp said. “I am looking forward to working with Bela and her team, who really appreciate the voice and perspective that we bring to the table.”
“Courtney is the real deal — a creative force and world-builder who makes great shows,” said Bela Bajaria, Netflix head of Global TV. “I really admire her clarity of vision and voice, and she has a great sense for what audiences want. Courtney has accomplished something really rare and extraordinary in television, and we are thrilled to welcome her to Netflix.”
Starz CEO Jeffrey Hirsh said in a statement: “For over eight years, we have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Courtney A. Kemp, and we look forward to continuing that relationship across our multiple Power universe series.”
Kemp will remain an executive producer within the Power universe alongside Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Mark Canton. Word has it that she will continue to oversee the franchise but not have any writing involvement. This arrangement is similar to what Shonda Rhimes has with Netflix and ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy.
Kemp is represented by CAA and Gendler & Kelly.
