Laika Secures Exit Party in Bidding Competition; Emma Stone to Produce Live-Action Series Inspired by Fruit Tree
Laika Secures Rights to Emily St. John Mandel’s Upcoming Novel "Exit Party"
Laika’s live-action division has successfully acquired the rights to Emily St. John Mandel’s forthcoming novel, Exit Party, following a competitive bidding process. Emma Stone and Dave McCary’s production company, Fruit Tree, has also joined the project as an executive producer.
Sources indicate that the deal was valued in the low seven figures. This acquisition marks a significant milestone as Exit Party will be the first live-action television project for Laika’s division, which has been developing feature projects for the past three years under president Matt Levin, a veteran from Netflix.
Amy Hodge, head of television at Fruit Tree, will oversee the project, while Laika Live Action’s Alex Maggioni will manage it on behalf of the studio. Laika’s live-action division is based in Los Angeles, with its animation headquarters located in Portland, Oregon.
Exit Party explores themes of duality, alternate realities, and fractured timelines, centering on a man who vanishes from a dazzling Los Angeles party. His disappearance prompts a multi-faceted search led by a woman who juggles various identities, including gunrunner and art collector.
“Emily is a singular talent whose work aligns deeply with Laika’s creative ethos,” remarked Maggioni. “Partnering with Fruit Tree—known for its bold and inventive projects—adds a special layer to this collaboration. From our first read, we were captivated by the beauty and depth of Exit Party. It encapsulates everything Laika stands for: character-driven, thematically rich, and visually imaginative storytelling. Set against a near-future backdrop, it resonates powerfully with contemporary themes, examining internal and external forces that shape identity and the pursuit of joy in a fractured world.”
Mandel expressed her enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “There were a lot of suitors for Exit Party, but Laika came in with tremendous passion for this project. I felt from our first meeting that they were committed to working with me to adapt this novel for TV. I love the adaptation process, and with Laika and Fruit Tree, our shared creative vision and ambition are palpable. I can’t wait to get to work.”
Mandel is represented by Verve, Curate, Curtis Brown, and Yorn Levine Barnes, while Fruit Tree is represented by WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Mosaic. The deal was negotiated by Zac Locke, head of live-action business affairs for Laika.
Since launching its live-action division, Laika has several projects in development, including a feature adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestseller, Atmosphere, helmed by Captain Marvel filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Other upcoming films include adaptations of Katie Kitamura’s Audition, featuring Lucy Liu and Charles Melton, and John Brownlow’s action thriller Seventeen, along with an original project by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Jon Spaihts from Dune: Part One.
