LA-based film and TV studio Happy Accidents has appointed Meredith Willis as SVP of Creative Content. Working in both Los Angeles and London, Willis will oversee development and production of feature and television projects.
Willis joins after a tenure as the Director of Development for Ellen Pompeo’s Calamity Jane Entertainment under a deal with ABC Studios, where she covered both scripted and unscripted television and film. Prior to that, Willis worked at Denver & Delilah for almost three years in television development and production, including on the Netflix comedy series GIRLBOSS.
Willis solidified her production chops in the Current Department at CBS Studios and CBS Network where Willis supported franchises including CSI, THE BIG BANG THEORY, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, REIGN, and THE GOOD WIFE. After beginning her career at Kaplan Stahler Agency, Willis later moved to FremantleMedia North America, where she first worked with Hines, and developed The CW’s THE TOMORROW PEOPLE, A&E’s THE RETURNED and TBS’s THE WEDDING BAND starring Brian Austin Green.
Founder and Co-CEO Holly A. Hines is the executive producer of Netflix’s GINNY & GEORGIA, previously serving as the Head of Network Development for Spotify Studios and after former stints at Pivot and FremantleMedia North America. Hines has produced the likes of NBC’s THE OFFICE, ABC’s UGLY BETTY, and Showtime’s THE TUDORS. During his tenure as COO of MPCA, Founder and Co-CEO Eric Jarboe produced over 130 films and 125 episodes of scripted television including Netflix’s THE PRINCESS SWITCH franchise and Hallmark’s record-breaking series WHEN CALLS THE HEART.
Happy Accidents is a new studio specializing in the production and distribution of films, scripted and unscripted series, documentaries and formats. The studio works with international partners to develop, finance, and produce high-end original content, and will distribute owned and third-party content globally.
At Happy Accidents, Willis will report to Co-CEOs Holly A. Hines and Eric Jarboe. “We’re committed to fostering relationships with industry-leading talent and those who stand out in their field – Meredith exemplifies these attributes, and we are thrilled to have her at Happy Accidents. With Meredith’s profound understanding of the film and TV landscape, her wealth of experience in both development and production, and her extensive creative and agency relationships, she shares our commitment to working with both established and emerging talent, and to shepherding extraordinary domestic and international productions,” say Hines & Jarboe.
Outside of her working hours, Willis co-founded and ran the Hollywood Radio and Television Society Associates from 2016 to 2018. Prior to that, she served as Co-President of the Junior Hollywood Radio and Television Society in 2014.
Partnership with Truly*Adventurous
Happy Accidents also announces it is partnering with Truly*Adventurous (T*A) to bring T*A original IP to international production companies, studios and networks outside of North America.
Truly*Adventurous is a story lab that generates and develops premium intellectual property to be adapted into feature films and series. T*A’s specialty is riveting non-fiction narratives, covering nearly every audience and genre, including crime and cons, espionage, drama, thriller, horror, and the inspirational. T*A’s original narratives are replete with the creative elements necessary for adaptation, and provide the perfect vehicle for “based on a true story” and “inspired by true events” adaptations or fictionalizations to suit the needs or preferences of studios and creative teams.
The library consists of more than 70 original IPs, of which more than 30 are in active development with partners such as Netflix, Amazon, Sony, Universal, ABC, Fifth Season, MRC, Blumhouse, Focus Features, Berlanti, Paramount and others, and with leading filmmakers, showrunners, and actors. A growing number of T*A’s stories are sourced or take place in countries around the globe, including the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, and Japan.
The Principals of Truly*Adventurous are Jon Housman, Greg Nichols, and Matthew Pearl.
