First Look
From ForcaWiki, the simple encyclopedia
| In one sentence | A deal giving one company the first chance to negotiate for, or the option to buy, a movie's rights before anyone else gets the chance. |
|---|---|
| Category | Film and Television |
| Related | Option Agreement, Attached |
Imagine you tell one friend, before anyone else, that they get to be first in line to buy your old bike whenever you decide to sell it. Nobody else gets a chance until your friend has had theirs.
A first look deal works the same way for a movie project. It gives one company either the right to negotiate first for a project's rights, or an actual option to purchase them, before the rights can be shopped around to anyone else. It is closely related to an Option Agreement, since both are ways of locking up the first shot at a project.
Fun facts
- A first look deal does not guarantee the company will actually end up making the movie, only that they get to try first.
- Studios sometimes sign first look deals directly with a well known producer or director, covering whatever projects that person brings them next, rather than just one single movie.
- If the first company passes on the project, or the first look period simply runs out, the rights become free to be offered to anyone else.