AUCKLAND, Today: Local ad agency/production house Augusto has optioned Ass, a new comedy series from Kiwi comedian Cori Gonzalez-Macuer and US-born Auckland-resident screenwriter Louis Mendiola.
The series will be directed by comedy genius Jemaine Clement and executive produced by Oscar-winning Taika Waititi.
Augusto ceo Michelle Walshe said: “Ass centres on a depressed (and broke) puppeteer who reluctantly accepts to work with his ex-fiancée and former puppeteer-partner on a top secret gig in which they must fill-in for a famous donkey actor after the superstar animal goes mysteriously missing.”
Well-known for their work in the advertising space, Augusto also practices long-form storytelling. Their previous credits include doco Chasing Great, TV series Funny As: The Story of NZ Comedy and web series Jessica’s Tree.
Walshe: “The pilot script for Ass was recently highlighted by Hollywood website The Black List following extraordinary ratings from film industry executives.
“The project has received much international attention, with Augusto Auckland & New York winning the option rights to develop and produce the project.
“The series will be produced by Augusto Auckland’s Daniel Story and Cass Avery.
“The series will be directed by comedy genius Jemaine Clement and executive produced by Oscar-winning Taika Waititi.”
“Augusto has story at its core. With that, a big focus for the team has been to develop quality longform entertainment with world-class talent from both here and abroad. This is a really exciting opportunity to make something very special with gifted storytellers. We can’t wait to get stuck in”
Executive producer Daniel Story said: “We’re thrilled to be working with such an amazingly talented team to bring Ass to life. The pilot script is inventive and hilarious – we look forward to progressing it into production and distribution as soon as possible.”
Ass co-creator Cori Gonzalez-Macuer said: “I’ve worked on a few things over the years, but this project feels like it’s actually going somewhere.
“It’s an awesome combination of working with Louis, a production company that is actually investing in us and now with Taika and Jemaine involved, it’d be pretty weird if we stuffed it up.”
Discussions are under way with US showrunners and VODS regarding Ass distribution, with production plans for next year.
Cori Gonzalez-Macure and Louis Mendiola are managed by Silver Lining Entertainment. Jemaine Clement is represented by UTA. Taika Waititi is represented by CAA.
About Augusto
Augusto is a multidisciplinary creative agency/producer of content, making everything from feature films and docos, to TV shows, ads and online content. Founded in 2008, the Augusto Group is a tight collection of companies who all have story-telling at their core. The group was built on forming strong partnerships with clients who need a more agile approach to traditional marketing and have a growing demand for smarter, more effective content.
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