Tan France has partnered with Madison Wells to incubate and grow his newly-founded production company, French Tuck Media, PvNew has learned exclusively.
Madison Wells, the production company founded by Gigi Pritzker, will work with France and French Tuck to develop a content slate that will be co-produced by both companies.
“Our whole company is looking forward to having Tan’s French Tuck Media in our fold and to telling global, entertaining stories together,” said Pritzker, founder and CEO of Madison Wells.
French Tuck will focus on unscripted and documentary series with the goal of inspiring community, humanity, and belonging. Additionally, Madison Wells’ back of house infrastructure will provide creative services, business advisory services, and implementation support to French Tuck while also working to expand the French Tuck team.
“At Madison Wells, we have wanted to get more heavily involved in the unscripted world, and the minute we met the inimitable Tan France, we knew we had to partner with him to make French Tuck Media a reality,” said Elizabeth Goodstein, vice president of business development and strategy for Madison Wells. “In an entertainment environment of increased consolidation and challenge, we believe that independent production companies who stand strong in their mission and are tied to engaged audiences will be the suppliers of choice.”
“When it comes to storytelling, we are all more alike than we are different,” said France. “My dream for French Tuck is to rethink the familiar – to add a little surprise and a new, more global perspective to the content audiences keep coming back to. And because I am, first and foremost, an entrepreneur, even through all the challenges, I see this evolving content business model as an opportunity, because I know we have a team who can create and execute efficiently, and at the highest level. We are beyond thrilled to be on this journey with Gigi, Elizabeth and the Madison Wells team.”
Donna MacLetchie has been hired to serve as chief content officer of French Tuck. MacLetchie was most recently the general manager and head of content development and production for Magnolia Network, Chip and Joanna Gaines’ joint venture with Warner Bros. Discovery. In her time there, she worked on shows like the “Fixer Upper” franchise, “Magnolia Table with Joanna Gaines,” “The Lost Kitchen,” “Silos Baking Competition,” and the documentary “Rebuilding Hope: The Children of 9/11.” Prior to Magnolia Network, MacLetchie founded Jane Street Entertainment, where she created shows like “Great American Recipe” and “Buddy vs. Duff.”
“I am beyond excited to join Tan in launching French Tuck,” said MacLetchie. “I was immediately drawn to his totally fresh and global perspective as a storyteller, and with the amazing creative engine of Madison Wells behind us, the possibilities are limitless.”
France has been a successful fashion designer for nearly two decades, though he is best known to audiences for his work on the hit Netflix reboot of “Queer Eye,” on which he serves as the show’s fashion expert. Season 8 of that show is due out on Netflix on Jan. 24. He released his memoir, “Naturally Tan,” in 2019. He also hosted the YouTube series “Dressing Funny” and co-hosts the Netflix fashion design competition series “Next in Fashion” alongside Gigi Hadid as well as “Say Yes to the Dress with Tan France” for Warner Bros. Discovery UK.
The deal was negotiated by UTA and Ellie Heisler of Nixon Peabody for France, and Goodstein and Arthur Chan for Madison Wells. France and MacLetchie are both repped by UTA and Donna MacLetchie is repped by UTA.
