Madonna might direct an episode of Weinstein's new TV series

[Mat.Guy]

The Weinstein Company, Seeking Hits, Shifts to TV By MICHAEL CIEPLY Published: November 24, 2013

LOS ANGELES — As Oscar season approaches fever pitch, Harvey Weinstein, master of the movie awards game, is talking about ... television.

The Weinstein Company, founded eight years ago by Mr. Weinstein and his brother, Bob, is making a surge into TV production that will soon test whether it can extend its success in film to the world of television.

By next year, the company — known for movies like this year’s prize contender “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” along with some reality television, including “Project Runway,” and scattered fashion and media ventures — will be at work on more than a half-dozen new scripted series, while expanding its unscripted TV business.

The heavy investment in the production and sale of series signals a strategic shift that is meant to anchor Weinstein, a midsize independent studio, almost equally in television and film. It mirrors changes occurring elsewhere in Hollywood: Last week, for instance, the much larger Sony Pictures Entertainment said it would trim its film slate, while building up TV.

“The way to add stability to the company is to be in the television business,” Harvey Weinstein said in an interview by phone last week. Mr. Weinstein, who spoke jointly with the company’s president, David Glasser, said his goal was to create a television operation “as powerful as the theatrical division.”

The planned series will include a 10-episode detective drama set in ancient Egypt called “Book of the Dead,” in a deal that involves a British partnership and prospective sales in the United States, and “10 Commandments,” a 10-episode series being produced for the Tribune Company’s WGN America. In that, film directors like Lee Daniels, Madonna, Ryan Coogler and Wes Craven might each oversee an episode based on one of the commandments handed to Moses.

Other planned shows are “Marco Polo,” a martial arts-filled adventure series from the executive producer John Fusco for Netflix; “War and Peace,” a 14-episode retelling of Tolstoy’s Napoleonic war novel in association with the BBC; “Stan and Ollie,” about the later days of the Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy comedy team, also for the BBC, and possible sale here; and an “Entourage”-like comic series, based loosely on the adventures of the celebrity chef Michael Chiarello.

The company has also acquired rights to “Peaky Blinders,” a British crime series, and “Gomorrah,” an Italian mob drama, both of which are being offered for sale in the United States.

Those scripted shows join a growing roster of reality projects, including “Concrete Kings,” about the construction business, and “Rodeo Girls,” about female rodeo competitors, both for A&E; and “Under the Gunn” a spinoff of the company’s continuing “Project Runway” series on Lifetime.

Over all, the television operation — headed by Meryl Poster, a former film producer — is counting on what Weinstein associates describe as “the Harvey factor” and “the Weinstein DNA.” Those have something to do with the brothers’ talent relationships, and Harvey Weinstein’s undeniable flair for promotion. (His latest coup was landing an official White House screening for “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” even as administration officials said they planned to stop dabbling in Hollywood’s Oscar campaigns.)

Though no guarantee of success, the combination is enough to command attention.

“Would I be surprised in the coming years if Harvey brought something to us that makes sense for HBO? Not in the least,” said Richard Plepler, chief executive of HBO. The TV push is backed by money from a freshly negotiated $370 million in available lending from an arrangement with Union Bank. About $150 million of that is earmarked for television, Mr. Glasser said.

Mr. Weinstein acknowledged that in its early years, his company stumbled in a first round of expansion that aimed to make it less a studio than a mini-media conglomerate. “We had a rough start, to say the least,” he said.

Early misadventures included the brief ownership of a controlling stake in the social network ASmallWorld, and the acquisition of a majority stake in Genius, a home video distribution company that flopped. Once valued at $400 million, the Genius holding dwindled in value as the DVD market collapsed, and was off-loaded in 2009.

Mr. Weinstein said James L. Dolan, a friend and the chief executive of Cablevision Systems, had been particularly forceful in urging him to focus on television. With its relatively quick pacing and potential for long-running hits, TV can be a counterweight to the jagged economics of film, where even a success like “The King’s Speech” — a Weinstein-distributed Oscar winner in 2011 — may fade without creating spinoffs and sequels.

In an email, Harold Vogel, an entertainment industry analyst, said the company’s foray into television could make sense.

“It is a lot smarter for them to move toward TV scripted production than to pursue cable networks, publishing, games and other such off-the-reservation ventures, as they’ve done in the past,” Mr. Vogel wrote.

But TV, he pointed out, can be as capital-hungry as movies — the “Marco Polo” series, for instance, will cost about $90 million to produce. And despite the success of say, Jerry Bruckheimer, who years ago shifted from film to television, there is no guarantee that movie-world skills will matter in a different medium.

“The amply demonstrated Weinstein expertise is in spotting one-off films already made and in film distribution and marketing,” Mr. Vogel wrote. “In TV production, I’d not be certain that any of these skills are readily transferable.”

Bob Weinstein, interviewed separately from his brother, said he was developing original projects that would be in tune with his horror- and action-oriented Dimension brand, along with several shows based on movies he has overseen for the company. He is preparing a pilot based on the “Scream” films for MTV, for instance, and developing a proposed 10-part series with Frank Darabont, based on Dimension’s film version of Stephen King’s “The Mist.”

Mr. Weinstein said he was also hoping to quickly follow the August release of the film “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, with a “Sin City” television series from Mr. Miller and Mr. Rodriguez.

Asked whether some of his past and present Oscar contenders might lead to future television shows, Harvey Weinstein said he saw potential, for instance, in “Silver Linings Playbook,” a comedy-drama that was written and directed by David O. Russell, and received eight Oscar nominations last year. Among this year’s contenders, he said Tracy Letts, the playwright who wrote both the stage and screen versions of “August: Osage County,” may become involved with at least an episode or two.

As for the Weinstein Company’s financial prospects, Mr. Weinstein said a vigorous push into television would help it to raise the next round of financing, whether through a public offering or otherwise.

“It certainly makes it easier for a liquidity event,” he said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/25/business/media/the-weinstein-company-seeking-hits-shift-to-tv.html?_r=3&

[Guest]

I'd Bo so happy if she directed a whole series of commandments!!!! Her theatrical nature would be perfect!!!!

[FreeMySoul]

exciting and how great they recognized her as a director and didn't merely say pop star Madonna in their write up.

[Bones]

I'm so excited!!!

[Iconic Fetus]

exciting and how great they recognized her as a director and didn't merely say pop star Madonna in their write up.

This, it was the first thing that i noted, i'm glad that they know recognized as a director.

[horn]

exciting and how great they recognized her as a director and didn't merely say pop star Madonna in their write up.

THIS

[LikeAPrayer]

I'll give him this, he might be reviled by many in and out of Hollywood, but Weinstein has always been one of Madonna's biggest fans and supporters. He's never turned his back on her and has always been adamant in public about his belief in her talent.

[Ivy]

I could see her directing: Though shall not covet thy neighbours wife, nor fuck her husband.

[Mensch]

I think she'd do great and it wouldn't take up much of her time, so's not to get in the way of her music/touring. I'm all for it! She'll get more experience in her belt.

[Guest Rachelle of London]

love this idea! great idea to explore her directing without it being too time consuming

[XXL]

love this idea! great idea to explore her directing without it being too time consuming

[Kilt]

love this idea! great idea to explore her directing without it being too time consuming

Hallelujah!

[Guest]

looking forward to this and at least one or two feature films before next tour/album.

[Guest gang bang]

Madonna might direct a TV episode for upcoming detective/drama series
Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Company, who released Madonna’s movie W.E. in the USA, said in a phone interview with the New York Times that the way to add stability to his company, is to be in the television business. He said his goal was to create a television series “as powerful as the theatrical division.”

The planned series will include a 10-episode detective drama set in ancient Egypt called “Book of the Dead,” in a deal that involves a British partnership and prospective sales in the United States, and “10 Commandments,” a 10-episode series being produced for the Tribune Company’s WGN America.

In that, film directors like Lee Daniels, Madonna, Ryan Coogler and Wes Craven might each oversee an episode based on one of the commandments handed to Moses.

[Guest Rachelle of London]

There was a thread for this already hun

[XXL]

Magde?

You mean Madge right?

[Genevieve Vavance]

Magda

[Get Together]

Magda

[madonnasuperfan01]

I'm all for it tbh, it could be interesting.