EXCLUSIVE: Joke Zero, a recently launched, comedy-focused production company founded by filmmaker Brandon Tamburri, has announced its expansion into all rights distribution with its first acquisition: the Tribeca prize-winning comedy On a String, marking the feature directorial debut of comedian Isabel Hagen, in which she also stars.
Winning the award for Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature at Tribeca 2025, On a String will be released in theaters later this year. Joke Zero is eyeing a seven-day limited release in New York City to start and will expand from there into other major markets.
“I’m so excited to be working with Joke Zero and honored for On a String to be their first acquisition,” Hagen told Deadline. “Being distributed by a company that really believes in this film and takes comedy so seriously is ideal. I can’t wait for On a String to reach a wider audience.”
Said Tamburri, “I’ve spent the last year mapping out Joke Zero’s distribution strategy and I couldn’t be more excited to bring it to fruition with On a String. With countless ways to consume content, there is no one stop shop for comedy. My goal is for Joke Zero to be that destination.”
Joke Zero’s debut title as a producer was the comedy Plan B, starring Jamie Lee, Jon Heder, Tom Berenger and more, which was released in select theaters via Quiver Distribution and on all digital platforms in September 2024. In addition to producing the project, Tamburri was its co-writer and director. In the process of putting that film out, he decided to focus more on the distribution side of the business as he wanted Joke Zero to retain ownership and control of its projects.
The company’s expansion into distribution is facilitated by a partnership with private equity firm MAT Capital. As a distributor, they’re targeting high-concept, star-driven films and prestige festival titles while also making an effort to work with comedians and filmmakers with unique voices. They plan to acquire and release multiple titles this year, with hopes of scaling the business from there. All of their films will get some kind of theatrical release before moving to other platforms.
Outside of distribution, Joke Zero will continue to develop and produce projects of its own, with the documentary Cancer Free, chronicling comedian Terence Hartnett’s cancer battle, currently in post-production. They have another film scheduled to shoot later this month.
Joke Zero founder Tamburri started his career at PalmStar Media, the production and finance company behind titles like Hereditary (where he was an associate producer), the first two John Wicks, and multiple films from M. Night Shyamalan (Split & Glass). During his time there, he climbed quickly from assistant to co-founder Kevin Frakes to Production & Development Executive, getting a deep dive on all aspects of production. From 2017, when PalmStar acquired the iconic comedy brand National Lampoon for nearly $12M, through 2021, he spent his time producing live comedy shows, comedy specials, and podcasts. When it became clear that his role wouldn’t allow him to fulfill his ambition of working on comedy films, he left PalmStar to launch Joke Zero.
Highlighted in an August 2025 episode of our podcast Comedy Means Business, linked above, Hagen’s On a String follows a Juilliard-trained violist (Hagen) as she navigates the New York City freelance classical musician scene, playing gigs that often draw her into the personal lives of strangers, all while living in her oddball family’s NYC apartment. The semi-autobiographical film is a showcase for the many talents of multi-hyphenate Hagen — a writer, director, actor, musician, and stand-up, who directed from her own script.
On a String also stars Dylan Baker, Eric Bogosian, Frederick Weller, and Jamie Lee. The picture is produced by Hagen, Annie McGrath, Torrance Shepherd, Alex Vara, and Olivia Vessel. Tamburri is serving as an executive producer for Joke Zero alongside Hannah Dweck and Theodore Schaefer of Dweck Productions, Jonathan Daniel Brown, and Charlotte Ray Rosenberg.
Andrew Herwitz, President of The Film Sales Company, negotiated the distribution deal on behalf of the filmmakers, alongside Cathie Saadeh, who served as the film’s legal counsel.
This story originated as part of Deadline’s new Comedy Means Business newsletter. Sign up here.
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