ITV

Tag: Chris Albrecht

  • Starz greenlights ‘American Gods’ from FremantleMedia North America

    Starz greenlights ‘American Gods’ from FremantleMedia North America

    MUMBAI: Starz has given a greenlight to FremantleMedia North America’s adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s contemporary fantasy novel American Gods.

     

    Bryan Fuller and Michael Green will pen and showrun the series. Gaiman will also executive produce the series. FremantleMedia North America will produce. Start of production is dependent on casting the lead role of Shadow Moon.

     

    Starz will retain all network pay TV and SVOD rights to the project. FremantleMedia will distribute the series worldwide.

     

    Starz CEO Chris Albrecht said, “Starz is committed to bring American Gods to its legions of fans. With our partners at FremantleMedia and with Bryan, Michael and Neil guiding the project, we hope to create a series that honors the book and does right by the fans, who have been casting it in their minds for years. The search for Shadow begins today!”

     

    Gaiman added, “I am thrilled, scared, delighted, nervous and a ball of glorious anticipation. The team that is going to bring the world of American Gods to the screen has been assembled like the master criminals in a caper movie: I’m relieved and confident that my baby is in good hands. Now we finally move to the exciting business that fans have been doing for the last dozen years: casting our Shadow, our Wednesday, our Laura…”

     

    Fuller and Green said, “Almost 15 years ago, Neil Gaiman filled a toy box with gods and magic and we are thrilled to finally crack it open and play. We’re grateful to have Starz above us and FremantleMedia at our backs as we appease the gods, American or otherwise.”

     

    FremantleMedia North America co-CEO Craig Cegielski said, “American Gods has been the passion project for us since Stefanie Berk brought this exceptional piece of literature to the company when she joined two years ago. Chris, Carmi and the entire team at Starz are committed partners, sharing the same creative vision and ambition for this series. Neil’s novel is a brilliant work of art, and together with the talented Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, we are committed to delivering a series that is nothing short of extraordinary.”

     

    The 2001 novel has been translated into over 30 languages and earned numerous accolades including Hugo, Nebula and Bram Stoker Awards for Best Novel.

     

    The plot posits a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon, is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a conman but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities.

     

    FremantleMedia North America’s Craig Cegielski and Stefanie Berk will executive produce the series along with Bryan Fuller, Michael Green and Neil Gaiman. Senior vice president of original programming Ken Segna will be the Starz executive in charge ofAmerican Gods.   

  • Power to surge at MIPTV

    Power to surge at MIPTV

    Paris, Tuesday 21 January 2014 – MIPTV announces the exclusive preview of the upcoming Starz original drama series, Power, as the MIPTV 2014 World Premiere TV Screening.

    The eight-episode first season was created by showrunner Courtney Kemp Agboh (“The Good Wife”) with Curtis Jackson, aka 50 Cent, on board as Executive Producer and part of a stellar cast.

    Power tells the story of wealthy New York City nightclub owner, James ‘Ghost’ St. Patrick, who caters to the city’s elite.  He wants to build an empire, turning the club into a Fortune 500 business, but there’s just one problem: he is living a double life.  When he is not in the nightclub, he is the kingpin of the most lucrative drug network in New York for a very high-level clientele.  His marriage, family and business all become unknowingly threatened as he is tempted to leave his criminal life behind and become the rags-to-riches businessman he has always dreamed of.  Set in modern day New York, the series will film in and around the city’s five boroughs, making New York a major character throughout the season.

    “I am excited to host the World Premiere TV Screening of Power at MIPTV with Starz.  We are looking forward to bringing this story to audiences around the world,” said Executive Producer Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson.

    “Starz is thrilled to premiere Power at MIPTV 2014,” said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht.  “It’s a universal story of power, seduction and the desire for redemption, all set against one of the most striking and glamorous backdrops in the world – New York City.  We believe world-wide audiences will be swept up in the storytelling, the city and the music.  MIPTV is the perfect setting to premiere Power.”

    “We are honoured that Starz has chosen to showcase its latest major new series as a World Premiere TV Screening at MIPTV.  This underlines the impact of the event, which is ideally suited to a show like Power that is bound to have wide appeal to the numerous international buyers and media present in Cannes,” said Laurine Garaude, Director of Reed MIDEM’s Television Division.

    The cast is led by Omari Hardwick (Sparkle, For Colored Girls, Kick Ass) who is joined by Lela Loren (Snitch, Gang Related), Naturi Naughton (Fame, The Client List, Mad Men) and Joseph Sikora (Jack Reacher, Safe, Boardwalk Empire).  Hardwick stars as main character James ‘Ghost’ St. Patrick; Loren plays Angela Valdes, an old flame of James’ who unexpectedly reenters his life; Naughton will play Tasha St. Patrick, wife, confidant and willing accomplice to James and Sikora plays Tommy Egan, childhood best friend and business partner to Ghost.

    Mark Canton (300, Immortals, 300: Rise of an Empire), Randall Emmett (End of Watch, 2 Guns, Lone Survivor) and David Knoller (Big Love, Carniv?le) also serve as Executive Producers.  The series is being produced in association with CBS Television Studios.  Filmed on location in and around New York, the city itself is also a major player in the series, which is being produced in association with CBS Television Studios.  Starz retains all global distribution and home entertainment rights to the series.

    Executive Producers, alongside Kemp Agboh and Jackson, include Mark Canton, (300, Immortals), Randall Emmett (End of Watch) and David Knoller (Big Love, Carniv?le).

    The MIPTV World Premiere TV Screening takes place on Monday 7 April in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals. The screening of Power will be followed by an on-stage conversation with Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson, along with the series’ lead actor Omari Harwick and creator Courtney Kemp Agboh.  The talent will later walk the red carpet to attend the MIPTV Opening Night Party.

    Organised by Reed MIDEM, the MIPTV entertainment market takes place in Cannes from 7-10 April.

  • James Gandolfini signs exclusive producing deal with HBO

    James Gandolfini signs exclusive producing deal with HBO

    MUMBAI: Actor James Gandolfini, who stars in HBO’s gangster saga The Sopranos, has signed a three-year exclusive producing deal with the US broadcaster.

    The agreement marks the first overall production deal for Gandolfini, who along with his producing partner, former Paramount executive Alex Ryan, is simultaneously launching his production shingle, Attaboy Films. Under this exclusive producing arrangement, Gandolfini will develop and produce original television programming for HBO and will also have a first-look deal for feature projects at Picturehouse, HBO’s specialty film distribution arm.

    HBO chairman and CEO Chris Albrecht says, “The Sopranos is a landmark in TV, and the gifted James Gandolfini is one of the reasons for the show’s remarkable success. I am delighted that he will continue to work with the network after the end of the series.”

    Gandolfini and Ryan have spent the past year developing Hemingway, a biopic written by Barbara Turner, with Gandolfini playing the title role in the film. Philip Kaufman (Quills, The Unbearable Lightness of Being) is attached to direct the drama about the tempestuous romance between Hemingway and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn. Turner, whose screen credits include Pollock and Georgia, will produce along with Gandolfini, Ryan and Peter Kaufman. Gandolfini’s managers, Nancy Sanders and Mark Armstrong, will be executive producers. The project is expected to continue development under Attaboy’s new deal, which also includes a commitment to two pilot scripts.

    Gandolfini and Ryan are also developing a documentary with HBO Documentary Films. The film, whose working title is Occupation Iraq, is about soldiers in Iraq and chronicles their stories, tragedies, triumphs and homecomings.

  • HBO US signs multi-project deal with Russell Simmons, Stan Lathan

    HBO US signs multi-project deal with Russell Simmons, Stan Lathan

    MUMBAI: Following its successful collaborations with Russell Simmons and Stan Lathan on Def Comedy, HBO in the US has entered into a multi-project deal with the two producers for a slate of productions, including scripted series and comedy specials.

    In addition, HBO will have exclusive rights to Simmons and Lathan for all cross-production platforms, with projects to be executive produced through Simmons Lathan Media Group, their production company.

    HBO US chairman and CEO Chris Albrecht says, “I have had the privilege of working with Russell and Stan at HBO for many years, and have always admired their ability to stay current in their sensibilities and taste.

    “I have said many times that HBO is only as good as the people who work here, and I can’t think of two people I would want inside the HBO fold more than these talented individuals.”

    Simmons says, “Stan and I have been in business with HBO for more than 15 years. They have allowed us the freedom to knock down doors and have supported us in creative ventures that would not have seen the light of day anywhere else in Hollywood, and for those reasons we are thrilled to build upon this great relationship.”

    Lathan says, “We are already working on exciting and innovative comedy, dramatic and variety projects. We are excited about bringing new talent to the forefront, and continuing to develop our relationships with established talent.”