Studio Briefs & Project Development Briefs – Mar 4, 2015

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4 Mar 2015

 

We will be providing briefs of what comes out of the studios or independent project development on a daily basis and summarizing them in daily posts.   These will be a quick way to attempt to keep everyone updated on movement of projects.   This post is updated throughout the day.  So check back for the latest updates.

 

NON-SPECIFIC (NOT SPECIFIC TO A GIVEN ENTITY)

 

ABC/DISNEY/AMC FAMILY/LIFETIME

 

AMC NETWORKS/AMC ENTERTAINMENT/A&E

  • Vikings creator Michael Hirst has entered into a multi-year, first-look deal to develop drama projects for A&E networks including A&E, Lifetime and History, as well as outside buyers.  Hirst wrote Showtime’s The Tudors (all episodes), and the Oscar-nominated Elizabeth.    “My experience working with the History Channel onVikings has been altogether positive, enjoyable and collaborative,” Hirst said. “I now look forward eagerly to developing more original drama with the A&E Studios very committed team. Per adua ad astra.”
  • Deadline Ratings:   Sex Box Keeps Attracting Men – Go Figure

CBS/CW/CBSFILMS/SHOWTIME/Pop

  • Rain Wilson’s Impress Me, written by Ben Shelton,  a half-hour, scripted comedy web series has just been picked up by Pop (formerly TV Guide Network).  Impress Me originally ran 6-episodes on the YouTube channel SoulPancake.  Pop will air all six of those episodes plus an additional episode.  Impress Me will premiere March 18.  Impress Me is about celebrity impressionists Ross Marquand and Jim Meskimen who are trying to quit doing impressions and become dramatic actors, resulting in total chaos.  The show will include cameos by Angela Kinsey, Erika Christensen, Matt Jones, Josh Groban and Weird “Al” Yankovic.
  • Bryan Cranston & David Shore penned CBS drama pilot, Sneaky Pete, will star Giovanni Ribisi in the title role.   Cranston and Shore executive produce through Sony TV along with Seth Gordon who will also direct the pilot.   Sneaky Pete will co-star Marin Ireland and also cast in the pilot is Libe Barer (Parenthood) who join previously cast Margo Martindale and Peter Gerety.   Sneaky Pete is about Pete/Marius (Ribisi), who is a thirty-something con man.  Upon leaving prison he takes on the identity of his cellmate and then hides out from his debtors while working for his new “family’s” bail bond business.   Using his charm and criminal prowess he takes down “bad guys” far worse than himself and partners with the real Pete’s first cousin, Julia (Ireland) who is a witty and smart single-mom of two children that has her suspicions about “Sneaky Pete’s” real motives.    Barer will play Julia’s younger sister who is always looking for trouble and easily finding it.

 

DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION (AOL, AMAZON, HULU, NETFLIX, YAHOO)

  •  Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way has entered into a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix to produce non-fiction projects that will air exclusively on Netflix streaming service.   The intent of the deal is to mix philanthropic efforts and filmmaking, generating documentaries focused on environmental and conservation themes.   While many similar type of documentaries can be seen at film festivals and a few make it out to art theaters, rarely do they get to a larger audience.  Netflix will have global distribution  into 50 countries with 57 Mil subscribers, lending a greater opportunity for broader audiences.  DiCaprio’s brand name brings attention to the projects and creates larger opportunity for viewership and thus awareness on these topical issues.  In the deal, DiCaprio will be the executive producer and/or producer for each project. Said DiCaprio: “Working with Netflix onVirunga has sparked a shared vision about projects that we want to develop and bring to viewers. There’s never been a more critical time for our planet or more of a need for gifted storytellers to help us all make sense of the issues we face. Through this partnership with Netflix, I hope to give documentary filmmakers doing urgent and important work the chance to have their films seen immediately by audiences all around the world.”
  • Ava DuVernay’s civil-rights crime drama pilot  For Justice has added Anika Noni Rose in the lead role.   Rene Balcer penned the script with Ana DuVernay directing.   CBS Television Studios, James Patterson Entertainment and Tribeca Productions are producing For Justice which is based on James Patterson’s novel , centering on Special Agent Natalia “Nat” Chappel (Rose) who is a tough-as-nails, cool FBI agent working in the Criminal Section of the Department of Civil Rights Division.  She finds herself conflicted between her radical family and her chosen professional family.   Phylicia Rashad also had been previously announced as joining For Justice in a supporting role.  Balcer will serve as showrunner and will executive produce with Tribeca’s Robert DiNero and Jane Rosenthal and James Patterson Entertainment’s James Patterson, Leopoldo Gout and Bill Robinson.

 

DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS (DISCOVERY CHANNEL)

 

DREAMWORKS /DREAMWORKS ANIMATION

 

FOX ENTERTAINMENT GROUP/FOX SEARCHLIGHT/NEW REGENCY

MGM, ORION, UNITED ARTISTS

NBC/UNIVERSAL STUDIOS/USA NETWORK/COMCAST/E!/SyFy

LIONSGATE

SONY/TRISTAR/COLUMBIA

  •  Deadline Exclusive:  Scott Rudin Nabs Hot new Book The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
  • Sharknado3 Strike could affect July planned premiere of Season 3.   According to a production insider, the CGI work on the series takes a considerable amount of time and if the strike continues for a week or more, it would definitely impact the production schedule to the point it would not be able to complete the CGI work needed to release in July.   So far no talks have taken place with the producers The Asylum and IATSE and no further effort to signing a union contract covering Sharknado 3.   Picketing has continued outside of the Burbank office by IATSE members and crew.

    Thus far Syfy, nor The Asylum have provided a statement or commented directly to the labor issue.

  • Deadline Exclusive:  Diablo Cody Set to Rewrite Barbie

 

TIME WARNER/WARNER BROS./HBO/ TURNER/TNT/TBS/NEWLINE

 

 

VIACOM/COMEDY CENTRAL/PARAMOUNT/MTV

 

 

 

INDIE

 

Posted in: ABC, AMC, CBS, Film, FOX, NBC, Televsion ⋅ Tagged: abctag, , , , foxtag, nbctag,

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