Daytime TV success Ellen DeGeneres is set to return to her roots, the stand-up comedy stage - although with a much heftier paycheque than she would've earned in her salad days.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Netflix have announced they'll be airing a one-off stand-up special from the comedian, 59 - her first stand-up special since 2003's Emmy-nominated Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now.
While specifics of the deal haven't been leaked, Deadline reports that Ellen is "likely" to score around $US20 million ($27 million) for the one-off special, similar to the deal Netflix recently struck with fellow comedian Chris Rock.
"It has been 15 years since I did a stand-up special. 15 years," Ellen said in a statement. "And I'm writing it now, I can't wait."
The star, one of TV's most popular faces, launched her stand-up career in the early '80s.
Her success onstage - she was named cable network Showtime's Funniest Person In America in 1982 - led to her own self-titled hit sitcom in 1994, including a 1997 Peabody Award-winning episode which saw the comedian publicly come out as gay on the show.
She's been hosting her popular daytime TV talk show since September 2003.
DeGeneres is the latest in a line of high-profile comedians Netflix have thrown the chequebook at, following other massive deals for specials from Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer and Louis CK.
The streaming giant also recently secured two upcoming specials from Jerry Seinfeld, as well as 10 seasons of his Crackle web-series Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, for a package deal worth a reported $US100 million ($134 million).
