Leaning into the romantic comedy genre, Netflix has picked up Court Date, an original feature pitch from Michael Montemayor.
Berlanti/Schechter Films, the feature banner run by prolific TV mavens Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter, will produce.
While details are being kept secret with a restraining order, it is understood to be a romantic comedy centered on two young lawyers on opposite sides of a legal case who fall in love.
The deal marks the first pitch sale for the rising Montemayor, who began his career as a writer’s assistant to Dana Fox, the veteran rom-com scribe who most recently penned the Wicked movies, while she worked on Cruella for Disney and The Lost City for Paramount.
Montemayor is establishing himself as go-to Disney writer, first penning a Cinderella re-imagining titled Stepsisters, which attracted Akiva Schaffer as a director, and now working on the studio’s live-action take on Tangled, which goes into production this spring.
With Netflix, Montemayor, repped by previously sold the company a feature spec titled My Mexican Mother with Eva Longoria attached to direct and produce. In addition to his film work, the scribe produces social content that has amassed over 40 million views across platforms, with a voice that is focused on celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.
Berlanti/Schechter Films is currently in post-production on rom-com Red, White & Royal Wedding.
The romantic comedy genre seems to be a hot commodity at Netflix, with Court Date now the third high-concept story in the field to be picked up in the last two months. Netflix is developing a rom-com that is said to have shades of Notting Hill that will star Blackpink rapper Lisa. It is also working on a reboot of body-swap romance 13 Going on 30 that will star Emily Bader (People We Meet on Vacation) and Logan Lerman (Oh, Hi).
Montemayor is repped by Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment and Myman Greenspan.
