Discovery Communications is teaming up with Oscar winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer for a digital studio called New Form. Together, they will create scripted programming for Discovery’s websites.
“We think there is a real opening,” Discovery CEO David M. Zaslav told The New York Times about the unique partnership. “We want to see if we can build some real market share.”
While Discovery is best known for its non-fiction programming on television, the family of cable networks is looking to expand in a new, increasingly popular direction. In order to gain a younger audience, Discovery and other media companies have launched original content online.
“We want to connect with a scalable amount of people and have an impact on the culture,” Grazer explained.
According to Deadline, the chief creative officer for New Form will be Kathleen Grace and it will be based on Los Angeles. The goal is to make “high-quality, scripted and unscripted programming for today’s digital viewers” and develop partnerships with major distributors and brands.
Howard, who has worked in this realm before as a director of some Funny Or Die videos, and Glazer are the team behind 2001’s A Beautiful Mind. Their Imagine Entertainment is also behind Rush, Cowboys & Aliens and Arrested Development.
“We’re super excited about exploring this new world,” Grazer told the Times. “We intend to participate to the extent that we can.”