LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Don Cheadle is making a big push into television production with a two-year deal at Universal Media Studios

Under the pact, expected to be announced Thursday during NBC's portion of the winter Television Critics Assn. press tour, Cheadle's Crescendo Prods. will develop series projects for the studio.

Founded in 2005, Crescendo recently signed a two-year feature deal with Overture Films. It has produced such films as "Traitor" and the documentary "Darfur Now" and is developing a biopic of musician Miles Davis.

Cheadle also was a producer of the Oscar-winning "Crash." He made his foray into TV producing as an executive producer of the Starz/Lionsgate series "Crash," which is based on the film.

On the big screen, Cheadle will next be seen on Friday in "Hotel for Dogs." He earned an Oscar nomination for "Hotel Rwanda," won an Emmy for HBO's telefilm "A Lesson Before Dying."

Source: REUTERS