CBS Studios‘ top producer Alex Kurtzman has closed on a new nine-figure overall deal which extends his time with ViacomCBS through 2026. Kurtzman has been with the studio since the Hawaii Five-0 reboot in 2010, but his production company Secret Hideout has been a tentpole of the studio since 2016. Under the Secret Hideout banner, he has piloted the newly revived Star Trek franchise with CBS and Paramount+, including five Star Trek-branded projects.
When Secret Hideout launched in 2016, Kurtzman signed a four-year overall deal with CBS, which evolved into a five-year deal just two years into the first. During that time, Kurtzman focused on the Star Trek franchise, turning the singular series airing at the time into five live-action series and an animated series for Paramount+.
In the agreement, CBS will have exclusive rights to develop and produce Secret Hideout content on all platforms. While Paramount+ has a number of series that draw audiences to the streamer, its most competitive content is Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks, with the highly anticipated Star Trek: Strange New Worlds headed to the platform next year. In addition to his Star Trek series, Kurtzman produced Showtime’s The Comey Rule and the upcoming adaptation of Walter Tevis’ novel The Man Who Fell to Earth, both of which are under ViacomCBS.
Kurtzman is best known in the industry for his ability to balance show running, producing, and writing recognizable IP and original stories, but he hasn’t done it alone. Secret Hideout is set to expand its staff in order to meet the demands of the growing slate of shows in development. Kurtzman’s right hand, Heather Kadin will remain as the President of Television at Secret Hideout, along with Senior Vice President Aaron Baiers, and Robyn Johnson as Director of Development.
With respect to the agreement and relationship, Kurtzman said, “CBS Studios has been my home for over a decade because the incomparable David Stapf always finds a way to demonstrate his decency and creative passion, not just for the work we do, but for the many people who do it. In David Nevins, I’ve found a rare breed executive with auteur taste and the guts to take chances, who’s encouraged us to create premium streaming and cable that pushes boundaries. And over the last year, I’ve had the extraordinary privilege of being eyewitness to the steady leadership George Cheeks has brought to CBS. He’s guided Secret Hideout, and me personally, with thoughtful care and strategic brilliance, as the rules of our business grow and change daily. As Secret Hideout expands its footprint across ViacomCBS, I can imagine no greater partners, and I’m so excited to tell more stories together for years to come.”
This deal signals that ViacomCBS intends to keep the Star Trek franchise at the center of its entertainment portfolio. An official press release states that “under the new pact, Kurtzman will remain at the helm of the growing Star Trek franchise for the next six years.”
via Collider