Disney moves Hulu’s scripted team under Dana Walden

The Handmaid’s Tale

US streamer Hulu is to integrate its original scripted drama and comedy team into parent Walt Disney’s TV division, under the remit of chairman of Disney Television Studios and ABC Entertainment Dana Walden.

Craig Erwich, senior VP of scripted originals for Hulu, will continue to lead scripted originals planning, development and commissioning for the streamer, but now reports into Walden.

His team will remain housed within Hulu’s Santa Monica offices, while the streamer’s unscripted originals and licensed live and on-demand acquisition teams will remain in their current structure, reporting to Hulu CEO Randy Freer.

The shift will see Peter Rice-helmed Walt Disney TV working more closely with Hulu’s scripted programming team and enable the streamer to work with talent who have deals at Disney’s TV studios.

Walden (left) said: “This new structure will enable Hulu to have access to many of the best creators in the world and programming from all of the content engines inside of Walt Disney Television.”

Freer added that it was “important that we take full advantage of the creative resources and production capabilities of Disney Television Studios, which are among the best in the world.

“Craig and his scripted originals team have created a broad, award-winning slate of programming for Hulu that drives culture and inspires conversation, and we’re looking forward to growing that caliber of scripted dramas and comedies on Hulu with the additional power of Walt Disney Television behind it.”

Hulu’s slate includes The Act, Catch-22 and The Handmaid’s Tale (pictured), the latter securing it a best drama Emmy before its bigger rivals Netflix and Amazon. Its upcoming slate includes Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Reese Witherspoon’s Little Fires Everywhere.