Partners with Lionsgate on “Graves” and
Paramount Television on “Berlin Station” to Produce First Two
Original Series on EPIX
Production to Begin this Fall with Premieres
Fall 2016
Third Original Series Coming from MGM to be
Announced Soon
Premium TV network EPIX announced today that it is adding
original, scripted series to its programming slate, beginning with
series from its joint-venture studio partners Paramount, Lionsgate
(NYSE: LGF) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Two of the series will begin
production this fall for premiere autumn 2016. The series,
“Graves” from Lionsgate Television and “Berlin
Station” from Paramount Television, mark the first original
series that will appear on EPIX across its channels, EPIX On
Demand, EPIX.com and TV Everywhere platforms with its distribution
partners. A third original series from MGM will be announced in the
near future.
Commenting on the original series, Mark Greenberg, President and
CEO of EPIX said, “Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM are great partners,
investors and supporters of our network and are proven leaders in
television entertainment. Tapping into the creative talents of
these entertainment power-houses to deliver this kind of compelling
programming is exactly what we had envisioned when we created this
joint-venture and launched the channel. Our focus was on business
success and profitability first and having established that firm
business foundation, we are now in a position to launch our
original series with these two great shows from Lionsgate and
Paramount and a third on the way from MGM.”
Added Jocelyn Diaz, Executive Vice President for Original
Programming, “Original series provide a platform to build our brand
and distinguish our offering. We are proud of the level of quality
and sophistication of these projects and are thrilled to announce
them today with our partners.”
“Berlin Station” is an hour-long, 10-part espionage drama
series that will be produced in partnership with Paramount
Television. Academy Award nominee Michaël Roskam ("Bullhead," "The
Drop") will executive produce the straight-to-series order and is
set to direct the first two episodes. American spy novelist Olen
Steinhauer (The Cairo Affair, All The Old Knives) will write and
executive produce the series. Academy Award winner Eric Roth
("House of Cards," "The Insider," "Munich") and Anonymous Content
(“True Detective,” “The Knick”) will also serve as executive
producers.
"Olen is among the most respected espionage voices of our time,
and Michael has a seasoned and distinct command of noir. Together,
they make the ideal creative team to collaborate with on this
sophisticated and gritty modern day spy
thriller," said Amy Powell, President, Paramount
Television. "We also take great pride in partnering with the
distinguished and prolific storyteller Eric Roth and the talented
team at EPIX on developing an inspired original series that is
reflective of the network’s commitment to high quality
entertainment."
“Berlin Station” follows Daniel Meyer, a newly anointed case
officer who has arrived at the CIA foreign station in Berlin,
Germany. It with a clandestine mission: to uncover the source of a
leak who has supplied information to a now-famous whistleblower
named “Thomas Shaw." Guided by jaded veteran Hector DeJean, Daniel
learns to contend with the rough-and-tumble world of the field
agent—agent-running, deception, the dangers and moral compromises.
As he dives deeper into the German capital's hall of mirrors and
uncovers the threads of a conspiracy that leads back to Washington,
Daniel wonders: Can anyone ever be the same after a posting to
Berlin?
Michaël Roskum is represented by Anonymous Content’s Keith
Redmon and Luke Rivett, and UTA and attorney Alan Wertheimer. Olen
Steinhauer is represented by Jill Gillett and Sylvie Rabineau at
RWSG. Steve Golin, Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Keith Redmon and Luke
Rivett from Anonymous Content will also be executive producers of
the series.
“Graves” is a single camera, half-hour comedy starring
Oscar-nominated Nick Nolte as a former President of the United
States. Twenty years after his presidency, former President Richard
Graves has the epiphany that his policies have damaged the country
for decades and so, with his young assistant, he goes on a Don
Quixote-like journey to right his administration's wrongs just as
his wife, the former First Lady, decides to follow her
own political ambitions.
The 10-episode, straight-to-series order will be produced in
partnership with Lionsgate TV. Joshua Michael Stern (Swing Vote)
created the project and will write, direct and executive produce
the series. Oscar-winning producer Greg Shapiro (The Hurt Locker)
will also be an executive producer.
"'Graves' is a perfect vehicle to usher EPIX into premium
scripted programming, and we look forward to delivering high end
quality content for years to come," said Kevin Beggs, Chairman,
Lionsgate Television Group. "'Graves' is a provocative comedy
featuring a terrific script from writer/director Joshua Michael
Stern, a consummate producer in Greg Shapiro and
the brilliant and charismatic Nick Nolte as a former U.S.
President whose conscience catches up with him with tragic and
comic results. It is perfectly timed to premiere in an election
year and marks a new chapter in the successful evolution of EPIX as
a leading premium cable platform."
Nick Nolte is represented by CAA and Jackoway Tyerman. Joshua
Michael Stern is represented by Paradigm and AJ Brandenstein at
Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern, LLP. Greg Shapiro is represented
by Darren Trattner at Jackoway Tyerman.
EPIX and MGM are finalizing an agreement on an original series
that will add to the network’s programming line-up. Specific
details will be announced in the near future.
“We are working with EPIX to develop our next exciting series
and look forward to bringing our signature style and storytelling
to EPIX soon,” said Roma Khanna, President of MGM Television Group
and Digital. “From Vikings to Fargo, MGM Television is the force
behind some of the most exciting and award-winning series currently
on television.”
In addition to the new scripted series, EPIX will continue to
present original documentaries and docu-series (Deep Web, NHL Road
to the Winter Classic and Stadium Series), comedy specials (Russell
Brand, Jim Norton, Jim Breuer, Lisa Lampanelli) and music events
(Katy Perry: Prismatic Tour), along with new movies (The Hunger
Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Selma, Interstellar) and thousands of
titles from partner studios and other sources.
About EPIX
EPIX is a premium movie and original programming entertainment
service delivering the latest movie releases, classic film
franchises, original documentaries, comedy and music events on TV,
on demand, online and on devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX
has pioneered the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.”
It was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access
to its content online at EPIX.com and was the first
premium network to launch on XBox 360, PlayStation® 3 and 4,
Android phones and tablets, Windows 8.1 and Roku® players. EPIX is
available to authenticated subscribers on hundreds of devices
including Chromecast and Apple® iPads® and iPhones® and is the only
premium service providing all its programming on all platforms,
delivering more movies than any other premium network, with
thousands of titles available for streaming.
EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA and
VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with
cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50
million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go
to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD
(http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook
(http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX),
Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+
(http://plus.google.com/+EPIX), Pinterest
(http://pinterest.com/EPIX) and Vine (https://vine.co/EPIX).
About Paramount
Television
Paramount Television develops and finances a wide range of
creative television programming across all media platforms.
Paramount Television is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation
(PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.
PPC is a subsidiary of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a global content
company with premier television, film and digital entertainment
brands.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a premier next generation global content leader
with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production
and distribution, television programming and syndication, home
entertainment, digital distribution, channel platforms and
international distribution and sales. The Company currently has
more than 30 television shows on over 20 different networks
spanning its primetime production, distribution and syndication
businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the
multiple Emmy Award-winning Mad Men and Nurse Jackie, the broadcast
network series Nashville, the syndication success The Wendy
Williams Show, the critically-acclaimed hit series Orange is the
New Black and the breakout series The Royals.
Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent
successes as the blockbuster first three installments of The Hunger
Games franchise, the first two installments of the Divergent
franchise, Age of Adaline, John Wick, Now You See Me, CBS
Films/Lionsgate’s The DUFF, Roadside Attractions' A Most Wanted
Man, Lionsgate/Codeblack Films' Addicted and Pantelion Films'
Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language
film ever released in the U.S.
Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in
box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rates.
Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of
approximately 16,000 motion picture and television titles that is
an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the
foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The
Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original,
daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.
www.lionsgate.com
About MGM Television
MGM Television is a leading producer and global distributor of
content for television and digital platforms, with distribution
rights to original productions and a robust catalog of television
episodes and feature film titles covering some of entertainment's
premiere franchises including the James Bond franchise and “The
Hobbit” trilogy. Current television projects include the hit series
“Vikings,” currently in production on its fourth season on HISTORY;
the Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning limited series “Fargo,” a
co-production with FX Productions, currently in production on year
2, and season five of “Teen Wolf” debuting in June 2015 on MTV. In
addition, MGM Television serves as the syndicator for "Right This
Minute" and “Let’s Ask America.” Through its finance and
distribution entity, Orion TV Productions’ courtroom series "Lauren
Lake’s Paternity Court” is currently in production on its third
season. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150521005580/en/
Media:EPIXNora Ryan,
212-846-8416nryan@epix.comorLionsgateLeah Krantzler,
323-965-1990 ext. 342lkrantzler@lippingroup.comorParamount
TelevisionJenny Tartikoff,
212-843-8496jtartikoff@rubenstein.comorMGM StudiosKristin
Cotich, 310-449-3606Vice President,
Communicationskcotich@mgm.com
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