Playwright Kate Cortesi Will Pen New Rom-Com Series For Disney+

Playwright Kate Cortesi has created and written Mad Love, a new six-part romantic comedy-drama series that has just been greenlit at Disney+, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The series is produced by Element Pictures, the Fremantle company behind Normal People, and Sinestra.

The series follows Maddy Caruso, a British wedding planner for an eclectic list of clients in the Italian countryside. While her work is successful, he personal life is not. After Maddy did something unforgivable with the first man she’s ever had feelings for, she fled from London to Italy, leaving behind her entire life, including her sister and best friend, Evie. But Maddy can’t run away forever, and her past will come crashing into her new Italian life.

“What a dream to bring Mad Love to life with this team that is truly the best in the business,” said Cortesi. “I can’t believe my good fortune to be working with Element, Sinestra, Fremantle, and Disney+, who have understood and supported the vision from the very beginning. And I can’t wait to introduce the world to Maddy Caruso, our wedding planner extraordinaire who is equal parts witty, wise, and wretched.”

“Watching Maddy hurtle toward self-actualization through a string of self-destructive choices is a ride I hope will be funny, sad, and occasionally worrisome — but ultimately a celebration of how true community catches us when we fall and helps us grow up," she said. "This one is for the free spirits, the poor decision-makers, and the unapologetic lovers of life.”

The show was commissioned by Angela Jain, head of content, Disney+ EMEA, alongside Lee Mason, vice president of scripted, Disney+ EMEA. It will be executive produced by Kate Cortesi, Christopher Aird, Chelsea Morgan Hoffmann, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe for Element Pictures, as well as Michael Parets and Johan Renck for Sinestra, and Hilary Martin for Fremantle.

Read the original story on The Hollywood Reporter.

About Kate Cortesi

Kate Cortesi is a Brooklyn- and Boston-based playwright from Washington, D.C. Her plays include Ten Grand, Let’s Pretend We’re Married, Love, One More Less, A Patron of the Arts, Great Kills and Is Edward Snowden Single?, with productions at Cherry Lane Theatre, Woolly Mammoth and other regional theaters. Her work has been developed by Lincoln Center Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Berkeley Rep and the O’Neill Theater Center.

Cortesi is a recipient of the New Dramatists Callaway Award, Princess Grace Award and NYFA Award, and has been named to the Kilroys List three times. She has written and sold television projects to Disney+, Fremantle and AMC and developed projects with Element Pictures, Jax Media and others. Her film work includes original and adapted screenplays for Lionsgate, Universal/NBC and Working Title.