Writer, director and producer Gina Atwater is getting into business with Netflix with a new multi-year overall deal. Atwater will produce, write, and create new series under the terms of the agreement. She will also be involved in other projects.
For her first project, Atwater is writing an adaptation of Jordan Ifueko’s bestselling YA fantasy book Raybearer, which is in early development at Netflix. Sugar23 and Macro Television Studios are behind the project.
“Gina is a triple threat as a writer, director and producer and we’re thrilled to be working with her,” said Matt Thunell, Netflix Vice President, Overall Deals. “Her experiences crafting fearless, character-centered work amid complex fantasy worlds makes her the perfect writer to take on the world of Raybearer.”
Atwater is from Atlanta, GA and earned her MFA in Film from Columbia University’s School of the Arts. Coming off the success of her short student film Crossing, which she wrote and directed, Atwater got her start in the business working for J.J. Abrams at Bad Robot working on features such as Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens and Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, among others. She was part of the writers room for three seasons on HBO’s series Westworld, where she wrote the critically acclaimed “Riddle of the Sphinx” episode as her episodic debut. She was also part of the creative team that has won multiple Emmy Awards for building out the internal rules of the “world” of Delos for Westworld’s interactive media and fan engagement content.
“It’s an absolute privilege to join the Netflix family,” Atwater stated. “I’m grateful I get to collaborate with a company that shares my passion for pursuing bold and innovative stories that give underrepresented characters a place to shine in the prestige space.”
Atwater is repped by CAA, The Mission Entertainment and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.