EXCLUSIVE: The Jackal Group CEO Gail Berman is expanding her executive team as part of her overall deal with Sony Pictures Television, adding Chris Markey as Senior Vice President and Jennifer Katz as Director of Development. Berman inked a three-year overall deal with Sony TV in May to develop and produce scripted series for cable and streaming platforms. Markey most recently oversaw development and production at the Universal Television based company Janollari Entertainment, where he produced NBC’s Bluff City Law and Midnight, Texas .
Previously, he was a drama executive at Chernin Entertainment, working on Fox’s Touch and Terra Nova , and the A&E series Breakout Kings . Prior to that, he was in comedy development and series production at NBC and Universal Media Studios. Katz joins The Jackal Group from Searchlight Pictures, where she most recently was Manager, TV Development & Production.
There, she was an executive responsible for the development and execution of the Emmy-nominated The Dropout and History of the World Part II . Previously, she worked at HBO in their Films & Miniseries Development department. Berman currently serves as CEO of The Jackal Group, a production company creating scripted and unscripted television, feature films, and commercial theater.
Berman has produced a diverse slate of projects, including, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo for Netflix, The Addams Family hit animated feature film and its follow-up, The Addams Family 2, for MGM, the Tim Burton-directed live-action spinoff, Wednesday and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis , which earned seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. “Chris and Jenn are two of the most engaging and dedicated television executives with fresh perspectives and bold ideas,” said Berman. “We’re thrilled to have them join us in developing and creating memorable new content.
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