from the hollywood reporter
Seth MacFarlane seals megadeal
Lengthy negotiations prove fruitful for 'Family Guy' creator
By Nellie Andreeva
From wunderkind to TV mogul: After 2 1/2 years of negotiations,
"Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane has inked a new mega overall deal
with 20th Century Fox TV that would make him the highest-paid TV
writer-producer.
The pact, which could be worth more than $100 million, will keep
MacFarlane at 20th TV through 2012. It covers his services on "Guy"
and his other two animated series for 20th TV and Fox -- "American
Dad!" and the upcoming "Guy" spinoff "The Cleveland Show" -- as well
as his TV development, including a multicamera comedy with "Guy"
writer Gary Janetti. It also encompasses new-media projects related to
MacFarlane's TV series as well as DVD and merchandising revenue from
them. ("Guy" alone has grown into a $1 billion franchise with red-hot
DVD and merchandise sales.) Additionally, the deal is said to include
advances towards MacFarlane's back end, which is expected to increase
under the new deal.
"I get a lot of pleasure out of making shows," MacFarlane said. "It's
a bonus to be getting paid well for it, and it's a double bonus to be
getting paid exorbitantly for it."
Neither side would comment on the size of the deal, with 20th TV
chairman Dana Walden noting only that "no one will ever have to offer
Seth a handout of any kind."
MacFarlane's deal is expected to eclipse the $60 million five-year
feature/TV pact J.J. Abrams inked with Paramount Pictures and Warner
Bros. TV in 2006.
The deal is retroactive, as MacFarlane's previous pact with 20th TV
expired more than a year ago.
"It's a relief to have it done," 20th TV chairman Gary Newman said.
Added Walden, "Today marks the first time in a long time (20th TV top
business affairs execs) Howard Kurtzman and Neal Baseman did not have
their shoulders up to their ears with anxiety."
Just as "Guy's" winding path to success was full of roadblocks -- Fox
canceled the show twice before it triumphantly returned to become the
network's top-rated comedy -- the road to MacFarlane's new deal was a
long and bumpy one.
At one point in October 2006, when the negotiations had stalled, 20th
TV delayed the start of production on the sixth season of "Guy" by two
and a half months.
Still, throughout the process, 20th TV brass never considered letting
MacFarlane go.
"I'd rather lose a limb," 20th TV chairman Newman quipped.
MacFarlane, who also voices most of the characters on "Guy," admits
the thought of going to another studio crossed his mind during the
drawn-out negotiations.
"But it didn't seem like anything was worth leaving 'Family Guy,' " he
said. "And despite all the statements to the contrary, with the
lawyers getting at each other's throats, deep down I knew it would
eventually be resolved in a positive way."
The talks came to a halt during the WGA strike, when MacFarlane was
very outspoken against the studios. He also publicly objected to 20th
TV and Fox's decision to complete episodes of "Guy" without his
blessing.
Both sides stressed that the events during the strike didn't effect
the negotiations.
"No one can afford for the strike to permanently affect the
relationship with the studio that you work for," MacFarlane said. "And
on some level, you have to pretend it didn't happen, and at the same
time continue to press ahead."
Fox is the only TV home MacFarlane has ever known.
Ten years ago, fresh out of college, he pitched to Fox an idea for an
animated comedy based on characters from his thesis and his sequel to
it.
The network and 20th TV gave him $50,000 to make a presentation. After
working day and night for six months doing virtually all the animation
and drawing in his home, he created "Family Guy." The network picked
it up, and at 24, MacFarlane became the youngest executive
producer/showrunner ever.
Soon thereafter, before "Guy" even premiered, 20th TV signed him in a
multimillion longterm overall deal. The studio also helped keep "Guy"
alive after it was canceled by Fox.
"I'm lucky to be at a place that creatively had been nothing less than
100% supportive," MacFarlane said. "Signing such a long contract is
something I can feel good and relaxed about because I know they have
tight purse strings, but they certainly give you a lot of creative
freedom.
MacFarlane's main priority at the moment is getting "Cleveland," which
he created with Rich Appel and Mike Henry, up and running. Eventually,
he envisions his Fuzzy Door production company as an incubator for
writing talent.
MacFarlane is repped by Endeavor, attorneys Jim Jackoway and Karl and
manager John Jacobs.
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