Fox Entertainment Signs Cottage Industry Deal
Fox Entertainment Studios has struck a first-look development and producing deal with Cottage Industry Entertainment, founded by Lisa Hamilton Daly and Alysia Cotter Thomas.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Television
Fox Entertainment Studios signed a first-look development and producing deal with Cottage Industry Entertainment, the company launched by Lisa Hamilton Daly and Alysia Cotter Thomas. The agreement covers a slate of television projects, including an adaptation of Danielle Steel's novel "The Whittiers."
Why it matters
The deal gives Fox Entertainment Studios first look at a range of projects from Cottage Industry, expanding its pipeline of adapted novels and original comedies and dramas for television. It also places Steel's "The Whittiers" among the scripted series in active development at the studio.
The slate includes ten named projects, among them the one-hour family drama from Jordanna Fraiberg and the "Summer on Lilac Island" adaptation with Delondra Mesa attached to write. No box office, viewership, or budget figures were disclosed for any title.
The players
Fox Entertainment Studios
The television studio arm of Fox Entertainment that develops and produces scripted series for broadcast and streaming platforms.
Cottage Industry Entertainment
A production company launched by Lisa Hamilton Daly and Alysia Cotter Thomas to develop books and original material for film and television.
Danielle Steel
A prolific bestselling American novelist whose works have been widely adapted for film and television.
Adriana Trigiani
An author known for novels such as "The View from Lake Como," which is being adapted for television with Cottage Industry and Fox.
The details
Cottage Industry is working with Fox on several adaptations, including Adriana Trigiani's "The View from Lake Como" and Cynthia Hand's "The Afterlife of Holly Chase," as well as the hockey-themed romantic comedy "It All Comes Down to This." Fox is also developing the comedy "Mom's Place" from Angela Kinsey and Audrey Wauchope, and Trigiani is adapting her own novel.
Timeline
November 5, 2026: Fox Entertainment Studios deal with Cottage Industry Entertainment announced.
Industry Dynamics
The deal reflects a continuing pattern in which studios like Fox sign first-look agreements with producers who source bestselling novels for adaptation, as seen in the multi-title slate here. It positions Fox to compete for adaptable book-based properties against rival networks and streamers pursuing the same material.
Viewers will not see any of these titles until a project is greenlit and placed on a network or streaming schedule, and no air dates or platforms were announced in the deal. The slate is in development, so there is no current way for audiences to watch these projects.
The takeaway
Book-based development deals like this one signal where studios are looking for their next scripted hits. Readers following adaptations can track which titles move from development into production.
Further reading
For more on how studios are developing scripted series, explore our Television coverage.
