Netflix Inks First-Look Deal With Richard Gadd Despite $170 Million ‘Baby Reindeer’ Lawsuit: ‘We’re Very Proud of Richard and the Story He Told’
“Baby Reindeer” creator Richard Gadd has inked a first-look deal with Netflix, despite his series prompting a $170 million defamation lawsuit.
Netflix boss Ted Sarandos made the announcement at the Royal Television Society conference in London on Tuesday morning in response to a question from journalist Kirsty Wark over the lawsuit, saying the streamer stands by Gadd.
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“We are facilitating storytellers to tell their stories,” Sarandos said when Wark asked him whether Netflix had made a mistake in calling the series a “true story.” “This is Richard’s true story. We finished our first-look deal with Richard Gadd … he’s a brilliant storyteller.”
“It’s not a documentary,” the streaming boss added. “We’re watching it performed by actors on television — we think it’s abundantly clear there’s dramatization involved. This is a uniquely British debate.”
“Baby Reindeer” picked up six Emmy awards on Sunday, including outstanding limited or anthology series, writing and lead actor for Gadd and supporting actress for Jessica Gunning.
More to come…
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