Eva Longoria Signs First-Look Film Deal With Universal Pictures

At the same time, the studio picks up 'My Daughter’s Quinceañera,' a pitch from Lauren Iungerich, who created the MTV series 'Awkward.'

Universal Pictures has signed a two-year, first-look deal with Eva Longoria and her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment production banner.

As part of the deal, the studio has picked up My Daughter’s Quinceañera, a pitch from Lauren Iungerich, creator of the MTV series Awkward. Iungerich is attached to write, direct and co-produce in what would be her first venture into feature film.

While Longoria doesn’t have a mandate for any particular genre, diversity will be a theme for the movies she hopes to produce with her partner Ben Spector, something that appealed to Universal execs.

“While audiences have identified with Eva through her iconic television roles, she is also an extremely savvy producer with a keen eye for projects that appeal to a broad range of diverse audiences,” Universal production president Peter Cramer said Monday in a statement.

That idea is emblematic in UnbeliEVAble’s first feature project, which centers on an overwhelmed single father who is faced with the prospect of planning the quinceañera of his daughter’s dreams.

“Building upon our continued success as producers in television, we were seeking a home to expand the UnbeliEVAble brand into features,” said Longoria.

She added: “Lauren’s pitch was so brilliant and funny, and to bring this experience to life is like reliving my 15th birthday.”

In moving into the film space, Longoria has hired Will Rack as vp, features. Rack is coming over from 21 Laps Entertainment, the company run by director Shawn Levy, and was an associate producer on Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and The Internship,

Longoria currently is filming BBC Two’s adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s classic social satire, Decline and Fall, as a miniseries. She will next be seen in Ricardo de Montreuil’s Lowriders, which premiered at this year’s LA Film Festival.

Iungerich is repped by CAA, Madhouse Entertainment and McKuin Frankel.