Mindy Kaling’s setting up some new roots. Hot off her success at Sundance with “Late Night” comes word that the multi-hyphenate has struck a new six-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. Variety reports that the pact — said to earn Kaling $8 million a year — sees her developing, writing, and producing new TV projects for all platforms including broadcast, cable channels, and streaming.
The “Ocean’s 8” actress has been working with Universal TV for the past decade-plus. During her tenure there, she created, starred, and exec produced television rom-com “The Mindy Project,” which ran for six seasons. Before that, she wrote, acted, and exec produced “The Office.” She’s currently developing a series adaptation of beloved rom-com “Four Weddings and a Funeral” for Hulu.
“Late Night,” Kaling’s feature screenwriting debut, premiered to strong reviews at Sundance. Inspired by Kaling’s own experiences, the comedy sees Emma Thompson playing a late-night host who hires her first female writer, played by Kaling. The Nisha Ganatra-directed pic landed one of the biggest deals out of the fest, scoring $13 million from Amazon Studios.
For many years, I thought that hard work was the only way you could succeed [in the industry], but it’s simply not true,” Kaling recently said. “Particularly if you’re a woman of color, you need people to give you opportunities, because otherwise it won’t happen. Talent is an important part of success, but you also need mentors to find promise in people that don’t necessarily seem like they will fit in,” she emphasized.