**Updated with official press release** After Glen Mazzara stepped down as showrunner of The Walking Dead, we've been waiting to see what his next project would be. While we don't know specifics about the new project yet, it has been announced that Mazzara has formed his own production company and signed a deal with FOX TV Studios.
44 Strong Productions is the name of the Mazzara's production company, named after his address in Brooklyn. While the announcement did not go into details, it was revealed that he'll develop cable series through the company. Previously, Glen Mazzara worked with FOX TV Studios when he was on The Shield. Here's what FOX TV Studios president David Madden had to say about the announcement: “The Shield was the show that really put FtvS on the map, and Glen was a huge part of that show’s success... Years later, Glen has become a lauded and expert showrunner, and after his extraordinary stint on The Walking Dead, we are proud to bring Glen back home.”
Here's what Glen Mazzara had to say about the announcement: "I've had a long history with Fox Television Studios, and it feels good to set up shop at a studio that I respect and trust, especially with David leading the charge... FTVS is giving me the opportunity to develop my own projects and to shepherd other writers on their own shows. This is where I want to be, and I couldn't ask for a better partner as I take the next step in my career."
Glen Mazzara has previously mentioned that he has interest in developing genre projects, so we're curious to see what he'll decide on. During a recent interview with Daily Dead, Mazzara mentioned that he was interested in moving forward on some of his passion projects: "I’ll have a few announcements soon. I have some things I’m laying the groundwork on, and it’s too early to discuss right now, but I’m very interested in creating a show. I’m also pursuing a film, and I have some ideas for other shows. I don’t want to speak prematurely, but I have some passion projects I’ve been carrying around for a long time, and hopefully I’ll be given the chance to bring them to the screen."
Press Release: "Fox Television Studios has signed former The Walking Dead showrunner, executive producer, and writer Glen Mazzara to an overall deal, studio president David Madden announced today. Mazzara will develop a variety of cable television projects for the studio under his new banner, 44 Strong Productions.
Said Madden, “‘The Shield’ was the show that really put FTVS on the map, and Glen was a huge part of that show’s success. Years later, Glen has become a lauded and expert showrunner, and after his extraordinary stint on ‘The Walking Dead,’ we are proud to bring Glen back home. Like all television studios, we’re writer-oriented, but since we’re leaner than most, the people we’re in business with need to possess a profound level of fierceness and obsession, and Glen eminently qualifies. Closing this deal is a testament to our admiration for Glen, who is already brewing a concoction of ideas and stories that we are eager to serve to the world.”
Said Mazzara, “I’ve had a long history with Fox Television Studios, and it feels good to set up shop at a studio that I respect and trust, especially with David leading the charge. FTVS is giving me the opportunity to develop my own projects and to shepherd other writers on their own shows. This is where I want to be, and I couldn’t ask for a better partner as I take the next step in my career.”
Mazzara joined AMC’s smash-hit series The Walking Dead in season one as a freelance writer, rising quickly up the ranks to become series creator Frank Darabont’s number two. Upon Darabont’s departure, Mazzara was elevated to showrunner for the second and third seasons of The Walking Dead, which earned both record ratings and critical acclaim. Most recently, it was named one of The American Film Institute’s top TV shows of 2012. Mazzara was also nominated for a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for his work on the first season.
Prior to The Walking Dead, Mazzara served as creator and showrunner of Crash, the television adaptation of the Oscar-winning film of the same name. He also co-executive produced the series Life, which starred Emmy award-winning actor Damian Lewis (Homeland). Mazzara also spent six seasons on FX’s groundbreaking series The Shield– produced by Fox Television Studios – as a writer and producer."
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