Danielle Steel’s ‘The Whittiers’ In The Works As Series From Cottage Industry Entertainment & Fox Entertainment Studios

Former Hallmark Media executive Lisa Hamilton Daly and Warner Bros. and Legendary executive Alysia Cotter Thomas launched their own production company, Cottage Industry Entertainment, last year with a first-look deal with Fox Entertainment Studios. The pair have now unveiled their first slate to emerge from that pact including a series adaptation of Danielle Steel’s book The Whittiers and a comedy series with The Office’s Angela Kinsey. The slate includes scripted series and feature films with literary adaptations and original projects. The Whittiers, which was Steel’s 200th book, is being turned into a one-hour family drama from writer Jordanna Fraiberg (The Dead Girls Detective Agency) and FES said that it is in development at a streaming platform. Watch on Deadline Also on the TV slate are Summer on Lilac Island and Mom’s Place. Summer on Lilac Island is based on Lindsay MacMillan’s novel with Delondra Mesa (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin) attached to write. Mom’s Place is a comedy project from Kinsey and Audrey Wauchope (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend). On the film side, the pair are developing It All Comes Down to This, a hockey-themed romantic comedy from screenwriters Sam Sklaver and Elizabeth Peterson, The View from Lake Como, based on Adriana Trigiani’s novel, and The Afterlife of Holly Chase, based on Cynthia Hand’s novel, being adapted by Ali Laventhol and Tawnya Bhattacharya. Hamilton Daly was previously EVP, Programming for Hallmark Media, where she oversaw projects including The Way Home, When Calls the Heart and Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. Before that, she was at Netflix, where she oversaw Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias. Cotter Thomas was previously a creative director at Warner Bros., where she worked on films such as A Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff and 300 with Zack Snyder, before moving to Legendary Entertainment, where she worked on The Dark Knight, 300: Rise of the Empire and Wrath of the Titans. She also spent time at Working Title in London and Paradigm. “Lisa and Alysia bring a terrific combination of creative instincts, industry experience, and a real understanding of what connects with audiences,” said Hannah Pillemer, Head of Scripted, Fox Entertainment Studios. “Lisa has helped build some of television’s most successful and enduring female-driven series, while Alysia has spent her career developing films and championing filmmakers, storytellers, and other outstanding creative voices. Together, they’ve created a company with a clear point of view, a strong commercial sensibility, and a growing slate of projects that we’re pleased to welcome to Fox.” “Fox Entertainment Studios has been a tremendous partner in helping us build Cottage Industry and bring our creative vision to life,” added Hamilton Daly and Cotter Thomas. “We share a belief in stories that entertain, move people, and keep audiences coming back, whether that’s a compelling family drama, a smart romantic comedy, or a suspenseful thriller. Hannah and her team understand both the creative and business sides of what we’re building, and we’re looking forward to continuing to develop projects together across television and film.”