Fox Developing Drama Series ‘Except You’ Based On Story From Julianna Baggott & Finneas Scott; Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort To Produce

EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, Julianna Baggott and son Finneas Scott have sold their short story “Except You” to Fox Entertainment Studios, for development as a one-hour drama.

Maximum Effort’s Kevin Hill and Molly Milstein are leading the development effort and will exec produce the series alongside Baggott and Scott of Mildred’s Moving Picture Show.

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Except You follows Erica, who can’t help but fall in love with everyone she meets. When her ambitious ex, an FBI agent who used Erica’s infatuations to get closer to criminals, goes rogue, she’ll have to help the Feds track down her ex, one mortifying crush at a time.

A prolific short story writer, Baggott previously collaborated with the Brooklyn-based Scott on Backwards, a short story that sold to Netflix in a six-way bidding war with Shawn Levy attached to direct. Baggott’s story Welcome to Oxhead is in development at Paramount TV with Jessica Biel and Michelle Purple on board to exec produce through Iron Ocean Productions. Additionally, she penned Rabbit, Rabbit, Rabbit, a horror story set up at Paramount with Melanie Toast attached to adapt. Baggott’s novel Which Brings Me To You, co-written with Steve Almond, was adapted as a feature starring Lucy Hale and Nat Wolff, which Decal released earlier this year.

Baggott launched Mildred’s Moving Picture Show in March 2023, with plans to run the banner alongside Scott and her editor Brendan Deneen.

Currently in theaters with John Krasinski’s live-action/animated fantasy comedy IF, Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort has the highly anticipated Deadpool & Wolverine coming on July 26. Other upcoming projects include Legendary’s live-action/animation hybrid Animal Friends and Apple’s action adventure pic Mayday, both of which also star Reynolds.

Maximum Effort is represented by WME and Sloane Offer Weber & Dern. Baggott and Scott are repped by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Brecheen Feldman Breimer.

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