‘Tina’ Filmmakers Sign First-Look Deal With Imagine Documentaries (EXCLUSIVE):

The acclaimed filmmakers behind HBO Max’s recent nonfiction hit “Tina” have inked an exclusive first-look deal with Imagine Documentaries.

Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin have entered into a one-year agreement with the division of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine, it was announced today by leaders Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein.

Under the deal, Lindsay and Martin will develop and produce projects with the full resources of the label, which currently has its own first-look output deal with Apple TV Plus and and a multi-picture arrangement with IMAX for large-format content.

“We grew up watching movies and TV shows that bear the Imagine name, so it is with both humility and excitement that we enter into this partnership,” said Lindsay and Martin. “We have been impressed with what Justin and Sara have originated at Imagine and we look forward to working with them as we continue to expand the work we do as directors and producers.”

‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Filmmaker Adam Wingard to Direct Comic Adaptation ‘Hardcore’ at Universal
Bernstein and Wiles said they were “longtime fans of Dan and TJ, who are two of the most prolific filmmakers working in documentaries today and we are honored to be partnering with them as they expand their creative footprint.”

The duo’s feature-length debut “Undefeated’ played in the SXSW Film program in 2011 and went on to win the Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2012. Five years later, their film “LA92” played Tribeca and went on to win the 2017 Primetime Emmy award for exceptional merit in documentary filmmaking. That project revisited the civil unrest that erupted in Los Angeles following the beating of Rodney King at the hands of police.

Lindsay and Martin’s most recent project “Tina” was a critically-acclaimed look at the life and career of Tina Turner. Premiering at the Berlin Film Festival before an exclusive domestic debut on HBO, the project set a viewership record for the network and streaming companion HBO Max. It will release internationally in theaters this summer.

Additional credits for the men including the Netflix series “DOGS,” and the Nat Geo special “I AM DYING.” They’ve also found critical success in the commercial space, with campaigns for brands like Facebook, Prudential, Comcast, Toyota and Google. In 2019, they directed “The Truth Is Worth It” campaign for the New York Times. The spots went on to be awarded nearly every honor in commercial advertising and became the first commercial in history to win both the Film Grand Prix and Film Craft Grand Prix at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity.

Imagine Docs’ upcoming slate includes “Who Are You Charlie Brown?,” a feature on animation icon Charles Schulz; the 2021 Tribeca Festival premiere of “Paper & Glue,” directed by legendary French artist JR; “Gossip,” a limited series chronicling Cindy Adams’ four-decade career at the New York Post as the “reigning queen of gossip”; and “Julia,” a documentary on legendary chef Julia Child, directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West; “Black and Blues: The Colorful Ballad of Louis Armstrong”; and Ron Howard’s next documentary feature film on chef Jose Andres and the World Central Kitchen organization.

Lindsay and Martin are represented by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.  Elsa Ramo negotiated the deal on behalf of Imagine Documentaries.

View this article at Variety.