Month: December 2014

Dec 19, 2014

Sarah Jessica Parker Plots ‘Divorce’ Comedy at HBO

“The Hollywood Reporter” — Nearly 11 years after Sex and the City ended its run, star Sarah Jessica Parker is reteaming with HBO for a new comedy.

HBO is near a pilot deal for Divorce, a comedy that would likely star and be produced by Parker, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Divorce centers on a middle-aged woman (Parker), who, influenced by her two recently single friends, impulsively brings up the idea of divorce with her husband but then can’t decide whether to actually go through with it — until her husband discovers the affair she’s been having and calls the marriage off.

Parker will star and executive produce via her Pretty Matches Productions banner. SharonHorgan, whose recent U.S. pilots include Fox’s Dead Boss as well as ABC’s Bad Management and Pulling, is on board to pen the script. Aaron Kaplan, Paul Simms (Girls, Bored to Death, Flight of the Conchords) and Pretty Matches president Alison Benson will also executive produce. Should the project move forward, Horgan will serve as showrunner, with Simms as co-showrunner.

The deal marks the latest collaboration for Kapital Entertainment’s Kaplan and Horgan, who have a joint-venture with the U.K.-based showrunner.

Divorce marks Parker’s latest TV comeback. The actress had a recurring role as a magazinefashionista on Glee’s fourth season and, more recently, eyed a TV return in Busted, a limited series from optioned by Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and packaged with Anonymous Content (True Detective).

Parker is repped by CAA and Schreck Rose. Simms is with CAA. Horgan is with WME. Peretz is with UTA.

Sex and the City was an instrumental series that helped put HBO on the original programming map.

For HBO, Divorce comes as the cabler is restocking its pilot slate following series pickups to comedies Togetherness, The Brink and Ballers. HBO this week also picked up a new comedy pilot starring Sarah Silverman to go with its redeveloped newspaper laugher.