Amazon Studios Lands Hot Package ‘Ex-Husbands’ From Berlanti/Schechter Films, Billy Eichner And Paul Rudnick

Justin Kroll
·3 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Following a highly competitive bidding war, Amazon Studios has landed the package Ex-Husbands and will develop the new comedy, an original story by Billy Eichner and Paul Rudnick. Eichner is also attached to star, with the screenplay by Rudnick. The film will be produced by Eichner and Berlanti/Schechter Films.

“The concept of a big, gay divorce comedy has been kicking around in my head for years and I cannot think of better collaborators than groundbreaking producers Greg and Sarah, and a true icon whose work I have craved and admired since I was a young gay boy lusting after show business, the brilliant Paul Rudnick who really paved the way for me and many others. And we now have the perfect partners in Amazon, who have already shown enormous passion for this project. This is a dream team. Now, LET’S GET DIVORCED!!!” Eichner said.

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The film tells the story of Daniel and Connor, who were madly in love when they became the first gay couple in NYC to get legally married in 2015 and poster boys for LGBTQ love and acceptance – with an epic wedding party to boot! The only problem now is: they’re getting an even more epic divorce. It’s a War of the Roses-style battle for the ages as Daniel and Connor viciously, hilariously and poignantly become Ex-Husbands.

Ex-Husbands will be produced by Eichner, and Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter for Berlanti/Shechter Films, with executive producer Michael McGrath. The story is by Eichner and Rudnick.

“As a longtime fan of Billy Eichner, I was thrilled when he called me about this project. And when Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schecter became involved, I knew we were in the best possible hands. Ex-Husbands has the potential to be wildly funny, emotional and altogether delightful” Rudnick said.

Eichner is a four-time Emmy-nominated actor, comedian, writer and producer. In September, Eichner begins shooting Bros for Universal Pictures, which will premiere in theatres on August 12, 2022. BROS makes Eichner the first openly gay man to write, star in and produce a comedy for a major Hollywood studio. The film will be directed and co-written by Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Neighbors director Nick Stoller and produced by Judd Apatow. Additionally, Eichner is set to star in and produce Man in the Box, a biopic based on the life of groundbreaking TV icon Paul Lynde. He most recently co-starred in Disney’s live-action remake of The Lion King as the voice of Timon, opposite Seth Rogen, Donald Glover and Beyoncé Knowles.

On television, Eichner will star as the infamous Matt Drudge in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming third season of the Emmy Award-winning American Crime Story: Impeachment, alongside Sarah Paulson, Beanie Feldstein, Edie Falco, and Clive Owen. Previously, Eichner co-starred on two seasons of Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series American Horror Story, as well as Hulu’s critically-acclaimed series Difficult People. Billy on the Street, Eichner’s iconic, critically-acclaimed series is now on Netflix and clips from the series have garnered over 100 million views online.

Rudnick plays have been produced on and off Broadway and around the world, and include I Hate Hamlet, Jeffrey and The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. His novels include I’ll Take It and the recently published Playing The Palace. His screenplays include Addams Family Values, Sister Act, the screen adaptation of Jeffrey, In&Out and HBO’s Coastal Elites.

Berlanti/Schechter Films produced Rachel Lee Goldenberg’s Unpregnant, the first of four YA films they are making for HBO Max. They have projects set up at Netflix, where the company has an exclusive first-look feature film deal, as well as Fox, New Line, Warner Brothers, Focus, Amazon, Skydance and Village Roadshow including an Untitled Rock Hudson Biopic; Red, White and Royal Blue; Be More Chill; The Sting; The Editor and We Were There, Too.

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