New York-based production company Seaview is launching a television division that will be led by former A24 executive Jess Ruben, Variety reports. Also in news, Seaview has signed a first-look deal with “Severance” production company Fifth Season.
Seaview started out focusing on Broadway productions, then branched out into the growing film business. Now, as the company aims to become a multi-platform entertainment company, Ruben is tasked with overseeing the development and production of scripted television projects. This also includes a focus on collaboration with theater artists wishing to enter the television industry, as well as prominent television writers and creators.
“Jess is an extraordinary executive with extraordinary taste and relationships across the television world,” Seaview founder Greg Norvill said in a statement.
The agreement with Fifth Season will see television projects developed by Seaview brought to Fifth Season first. In addition to “Severance,” Fifth Season films include “His & Hers,” “Tokyo Vice,” “Killing Eve” and “The Night Manager.”
“Launching our television division under her leadership and in partnership with Fifth Season is an exciting next chapter for Seaview as we continue to build a home for artists to tell their stories across stage and screen,” Norville added.
A senior television executive at A24 for six years, Ruben’s credits include serving as co-executive producer of the first season of HBO’s “Euphoria” and Apple TV’s “Mr. Corman.” She also EPed Apple TV’s “Sunny” and Amazon’s pilot “Lifted.” Prior to joining A24, he worked at Scott Free TV, where he worked on shows such as CBS’s “The Good Wife,” Paramount+’s “The Good Fight,” Amazon’s “Man in the High Castle,” HBO Max’s “Raised by Wolves” and AMC’s “The Terror.”
“I have loved and admired the company’s work for many years, so I’m really excited to join Greg and the Seaview team,” Ruben said in a statement. “I’m really looking forward to deepening our relationship between theater and film and working with our incredible partners at The Fifth Season to bring urgent and moving stories to television.”
Seaview previously launched a film division led by Brad Becker-Parton, which has worked on the HBO feature film “Reality,” Neon’s “Stress Position” and the recent Sundance title “Union Country.” On Broadway, the company’s credits include “Stereophonic,” “Goodnight and Good Luck” and “The Fear of 13.”
