“Battlestar Galactica” exec producer David Eick is expanding his role in the NBC universe, inking a two-year overall deal with the Peacock’s studio arm.
While Eick has spent most of his career at either NBC or predecessor Universal working as a producer or exec, this seven-figure pact reps the first time he’s signed an overall for his work as a scribe. Deal kicks in June 1.
Even as he continues to work as a nonwriting producer shepherding various projects — including the long-in-the-works “BSG” prequel “Caprica” for Sci Fi Channel — Eick has begun penning projects by himself and with partners.
“My focus now is probably going to be a little less about casting a wide net and a little more on focusing on one, two or maybe three projects a year, maybe writing one myself,” Eick said.
So far this season:
- Eick is working on “AKA,” a family adventure from scribe Kerry Ehrins (“Friday Night Lights”), which Eick describes as “Little Miss Sunshine” meets “Thelma and Louise.”
- Eick is shepherding a project from scribe Dario Scardapane that’s a sort of modern-day “Hart to Hart.”
- And as a solo scribe, Eick is working on an adaptation of an existing Universal property, the title of which is being kept under wraps pending completion of a rights deal. Eick has a track record adapting properties for U: In addition to “Battlestar Galactica,” he also oversaw this season’s remake of “The Bionic Woman,” which fizzled out after a boffo bow.
Universal Media Studios drama chief Elisa Roth said that over the past two years, Eick “has blossomed as a writer” and that the studio now felt comfortable making a deal with him in that capacity.
“What I like about David is that he brings an incredibly unique perspective to existing titles,” she said. “He also has a broad creative range and consistently brings in commercial bents on unorthodox ideas.”
Eick told Daily Variety that after years of giving scribes notes, “It was time to stop telling them what I think they should do and put my money where my mouth is. The jury’s still out on how well I’ll do.”
The adaptation project Eick is working on will rep his first solo stab at creating a pilot. Last year, he teamed with John McNamara on the Fox prototype “Them”; he also penned several “BSG” scripts.
“When you have to decide for yourself what the doorknobs look like, it’s a whole different experience,” he said, adding that he now finds himself sending drafts of scripts to the writers he used to oversee as a producer.
Eick’s pre-”BSG” producer credits include the USA Network skein “Cover Me” and the CBS drama “American Gothic.”
He is repped by Endeavor and attorney Dan Black.
