*Kevin Hart is about to launch his own video-on-demand channel next year as part of a joint venture with Lionsgate, and the actor will head north of the border this summer to recruit talent, reports Variety.
The comedian’s Laugh Out Loud network will launch the first quarter of 2017 as a free-to-consumer ad-supported VOD service. A subscription option for longer-form content will be an option down the line. The service will feature original scripted and unscripted series along with shows featuring up-and-coming comedians and social-media stars.
Next month, Hart will scout talent for the channel at Canada’s Just for Laughs festival. He’ll present a pitch panel inviting creators to present their best pilot ideas for short-form comedy series, with a shot at getting a slot in the Laugh Out Loud VOD lineup.
Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Network Pitch Panel will take place Thursday, July 28, at the Hyatt Regency Montreal hotel, in a one-hour session kicking off the Just For Laughs ComedyPRO, the four-day comedy conference that runs parallel to the main festival.
“We’re looking for pitches, and if Kevin likes it we’ll make deals on the spot,” said Jeff Clanagan, president of CodeBlack Films and Hart’s longtime business partner.
Just For Laughs staffers will prescreen pitches, selecting a shortlist of up to 10 finalists to present their ideas at the confab. To be considered, comedians, writers, producers and creators must submit a one-page outline to [email protected] by July 13.
In addition to hosting the pitch panel, Just For Laughs will produce 52 stand-up specials at the festival, featuring a total of 104 comedians (two per 15-minute episode) filmed over six nights, exclusively for Hart’s Laugh Out Loud VOD channel.
Hart has been a regular at the Just For Laughs Festival since his 2001 stand-up debut at the event. His last appearance was in 2015, when he sold out the Bell Centre as part of his “What Now?” tour, marking the festival’s biggest single indoor event to date.
The Just For Laughs Festival, which first launched in 1983, runs July 13 to Aug. 1, 2016, in Montreal. The Just For Laughs ComedyPRO track runs from July 27-30.
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