Network dramas are no strangers to exits from major stars, especially once the shows make it beyond the six seasons that TV contracts tend to allow for. Still, it was a big shock to recently learn that The Blacklist's Megan Boone was bowing out of the NBC drama following its polarizing Season 8 finale, considering her character Liz's arc with James Spader's Red Reddington was such a massive part of the show's deep and twisted mythology. But shock or no shock, Boone's time on The Blacklist is now over, though she is already entering the next phase of her career in a big way.
Just one day after The Blacklist put to rest some long-standing questions, while still technically keeping some up in the air, it was revealed that Megan Boone has not only launched her own production company, but she also has a first-look deal signed with Sony Pictures Television, according to Deadline. This deal marks a creative reteaming, with Sony TV being the studio backing The Blacklist for the past eight seasons.
Through this new deal, Megan Boone is set to develop and produce new projects for Sony Pictures TV, with the hopes of turning them into full-fledged TV series with interested networks and streaming services. Currently, Boone is on the hunt for a suitable development executive for her newly established company, which boasts the unique name Weird Sister. The actress and producer, who shared a kind farewell with fans as the finale aired, shined some light on the meaning behind the name, while also sharing her excitement to work with Sony TV in a greater capacity.
I am beyond excited to have a home at SPTV where I can branch out and continue to work with this incredible team. They have been instrumental in my career, and fundamentally believe in my vision for Weird Sister. I’m thrilled for this new chapter. The name Weird Sister encapsulates some of the most important aspects of what I aspire to with my company. Weird Sister is woman-led and embraces difference. I view alternative perspectives & abnormalities as essential strengths in the people I collaborate with, the character-driven stories I want to tell and the unique worlds I look forward to crafting with a diverse team of collaborators.
Megan Boone is definitely used to taking part in "different" projects, even just when talking about The Blacklist. The NBC drama began its run with a pretty standard criminal-of-the-week approach, as Red helped Liz & Co. track down dangerous threats that were referenced in the episode titles. But after a couple of seasons, creator Jon Bokenkamp upped the ante by bringing in more deeply serialized storytelling while still maintaining the procedural elements, and eventually sparked some of the wildest theorizing in broadcast network TV. (Outside of Manifest, anyway.) So anything Boone takes on next will likely be at least slightly more straightforward than The Blacklist.
Having previously starred in the short-lived spinoff Law & Order: Los Angeles, Megan Boone likely won't be heading back to that universe now that she's finished with The Blacklist. Although by all means, if she had a Law & Order pitch to throw Dick Wolf's way, I'm sure someone at NBC would knock down a few walls to listen to it. For now, though, we can only wait to see what Boone will dive into next.
If there are any Blacklist fans who somehow haven't watched the final two Season 8 episodes yet - which would actually be understandable, considering NBC temporarily moved the drama to Wednesday nights solely for those two installments - you can stream them both now on Hulu to see how Jon Bokenkamp wrapped up Liz and Red's shared story.
