Top singer-songwriter Bruno Mars is venturing into producing, teaming with Empire executive producer Brian Grazer for a single-camera music family comedy project, which has landed at NBC with a put pilot commitment.
Written by Prentice Penny (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), the comedy follows a loud, boisterous, and quarrelsome family from the Bronx and what happens when they take in their wide-eyed, hopelessly optimistic 10 year old nephew. The project is not based on Mars’ life though there are elements of his background in the idea. The Grammy-winning recording star was introduced to Penny who has had a life-long passion for music, and the two came up with the concept for a music family comedy. Penny and Imagine TV’s Gracer and Francie Calfo executive produce alongside Mars and his manager Brandon Creed.
Penny has been on the rise. Earlier this year, he was tapped as executive producer and showrunner of HBO’s comedy pilot Insecure starring Issa Rae, which was recently delivered to the network. He was a co-executive producer on the Golden Globe-winning freshman season of Fox’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine and was a consulting producer in Season 2. He also served as supervising producer on ABC’s Happy Endings and created and executive produced the NAACP Award-winning Fuse Network series The Hustle. Penny is repped by CAA, Generate’s Chris Pollack and attorneys John Meigs and Adam Kaller.
Mars, repped by CAA and attorney Evan L. Freifeld, is coming off the blockbuster success of his song with Mark Ronson Uptown Funk. Mars performed at Super Bowl half-time in 2014, and there have been reports that he had been invited back for the upcoming Super Bowl 50.
ImagineTV, repped by CAA and attorney Ken Ziffren, has a Gina Prince-Bythewood event series starring Sanaa Lathan awaiting green light at Fox and an Ian Edelman drama at NBC with a put pilot commitment.
Source: Deadline
