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It's hard to imagine a world where Sarah Jessica Parker didn't become an international superstar thanks to her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on Darren Star's landmark HBO series "Sex and the City." Imagine it, though, because as Parker recently revealed, she did not want to do a TV show, and she actually tried to get out of the project entirely.

In a conversation with her "Sex and the City" and "And Just Like That" co-star Kristin Davis — who plays Charlotte York-Goldenblatt on both the original show and the HBO Max reboot — on her podcast "Are You a Charlotte?" (via Entertainment Weekly), Parker revealed that she filmed the "Sex and the City" pilot and then sort of forgot about it ... until a producer approached her in New York City praising the pilot. Upon realizing other people had seen it, Parker still thought little of it until the show was officially announced.

Imagine Sex and the City without Sarah Jessica Parker. Heck, imagine Sarah Jessica Parker without Sex and the City. It almost happened: the actress — currently starring in the spinoff of said iconic series, And Just Like That — recently admitted that she actually tried to get out of playing the role that arguably made her career.

On the latest episode of the Are You a Charlotte? Podcast, hosted by none other than Charlotte York herself, Kristin Davis, Parker was on as a guest and confessed that she really did not want to do television and tried her damnedest to get HBO to let her out of her contract after the show was picked up to series. In her words: "I panicked. When the show was picked up, I was like, 'I can't be on a TV show! I don't think I'm suited for that life.'"

Explaining herself further, she went...

Before becoming the face of Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker wasn’t exactly sold on the idea of joining the show. She had doubts about whether she was cut out for the fast-paced, fashion-heavy world the series promised. In fact, she felt she wasn’t suited for that life at all, unsure if the glitz, glam, and nonstop attention aligned with who she really was off-camera.

But despite her hesitation, Parker took the leap, and the rest is HBO history. Looking back, it’s wild to think the woman who defined Carrie Bradshaw nearly passed on the role that changed everything.

Sarah Jessica Parker almost walked away from Sex and the City Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City | Credits: HBO

“I don’t think I’m suited for that life.” That’s what Sarah Jessica Parker told Kristin Davis on the latest episode...

One of the stars of Sex and the City, Sarah Jessica Parker, nearly backed out of appearing on the HBO show just as it was about to air. It's hard to imagine any one of the main characters in Sex and the City played by a different actress. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon are as inextricable from their characters as the series is from television history. These actresses exploded in popularity thanks to Darren Star's series, so it's hard to imagine why any of them would ever have second thoughts.

Yet, Sarah Jessica Parker did have second thoughts. On an episode of the Are You a Charlotte? podcast hosted by Davis, Parker revealed that she nearly bowed out of Sex and the City just as it was to air in 1998 (via EW). Parker talked about how, after shooting the first episode of Sex and the City...

“The Sopranos” creator David Chase almost passed on casting James Gandolfini in the lead role because the late actor didn’t seem “threatening enough” to play mob boss Tony Soprano.

In an excerpt published by Vulture of Jason Bailey’s book “Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend,” Gandolfini’s former manager, Nancy Sanders, remembered how Chase was hesitant to offer Gandolfini the role.

“I went, ‘Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,’” Sanders said. However, Chase allegedly told Sanders at the time, “I have one concern, and that is, is he threatening enough?”

IndieWire has reached out to representatives for Chase and HBO.

Sanders recalled telling Chase at the time, “David, if your only concern is, ‘Is he threatening enough’…If you said to me, ‘He’s a little chubby,’ or ‘He’s losing his hair,’ I could understand. But he’s threatening enough. This is your guy.

James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano is widely regarded as an example of perfect casting, making it impossible for fans of The Sopranos to imagine any other actor in the role. However, series creator David Chase was reluctant to go forward with the casting for a surprising reason.

The story of Gandolfini almost missing out on The Sopranos was shared in the new book Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend by Jason Bailey. An excerpt from the book, published by Vulture, includes a passage about how Gandolfini's manager, Nancy Sanders, suggested the actor after reading the script for The Sopranos. When Chase questioned if Gandolfini was "threatening enough" to play the mafia boss, Sanders assured him that this wouldn't be a problem.

“Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,” Sanders felt when reading the script.

Upon watching Gandolfini's acting reel, Chase is said to have responded,...

James Gandolfini can easily be one of the most celebrated actors out there, with a slew of noteworthy projects to his name. But out of the lot, his portrayal of the mob boss Tony Soprano definitely stands the tallest. While it brought him immense fame and made him one of television’s greatest actors, behind the scenes, his lifestyle became a major concern for HBO executives.

The network came to the rescue of the show when all the major networks stepped back from running it on their platform.

James Gandolfini in The Sopranos | Credits: HBO

While it brought them a lot of revenue, given its popularity, it also became a major point of concern as Gandolfini’s struggles started to have a bad impact on everyone. Plus, given that he was the heart of the show, they couldn’t even fire him—which even the actor knew himself.

James Gandolfini...

When we talk about peak television, The Sopranos would definitely be among the top ten with its crime saga and psychological elements. Apart from the show, James Gandolfini’s portrayal of the mafia boss Tony Soprano is also widely regarded as one of the finest in the history of television. But behind this tough character was an actor who was deeply committed to playing the role to the best of his abilities.

James Gandolfini in a still from The Sopranos | Credits: HBO

However, one time Gandolfini messed up one scene intentionally just to see if the director noticed or not. To his surprise, his mess-up went unnoticed, and the director simply moved on to the next shot.

James Gandolfini intentionally messed up a scene in The Sopranos that went completely unnoticed James Gandolfini in a still from The Sopranos | Credits: HBO

The list of awards that James Gandolfini has won...

The Sopranos changed television forever with its unique mix of drama and complex characters. The show broke all the rules and set a new standard for television. At the heart of its success was James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of Tony Soprano became legendary. His performance brought the character to life in a way that no one expected.

James Gandolfini and Edie Falco in The Sopranos | Credits: HBO

But the path to making The Sopranos a reality wasn’t easy. Despite its groundbreaking potential, the show faced many obstacles. In fact, it was almost canceled before it even began until HBO came to the rescue.

What made The Sopranos a risk worth taking for HBO?

The Sopranos nearly didn’t make it to television. David Chase’s groundbreaking idea for the show which centered on a mob boss seeking therapy was too unconventional for traditional network television. This unique premise didn...

Exclusive: Secuoya Studios is stepping into the UK. The Spanish powerhouse has inked a first-look development and production deal with The Castaways and This Time Next Year producer BlackBox Multimedia.

Under the deal, the two companies will join forces to co-produce premium series for the UK and Spanish markets at Secuoya Group’s facilities Madrid Content City in Tres Cantos, Spain.

The move marks the first time the Spanish studio is entering the UK market and is part of Secuoya Group’s larger strategy to produce more English-language content. At the Iberseries & Platino Industria confab in October, Secuoya Studios announced a global expansion plan to produce 30% of the studio’s content catalog in languages other than Spanish language, enabling the studio and its partners to develop multiple projects in parallel in different markets and language.

London-based BlackBox Multimedia, which was founded by former Lionsgate UK COO Guy Avshalom, has developed...

The Reason Your Agent Isn’t Calling You Back? Pickleball

If you happened to be passing through Calabasas and heard a loud “twocking” sound, we can explain. On Nov. 16, a slew of Hollywood’s most powerful players (and, in this case, we’re using the word literally) assembled on the courts of the Calabasas Pickleball Club for the Entertainment Pickleball League’s championship tourney. Although they began just a few months ago, Epl’s games are quickly shaping up to be Hollywood’s biggest draw this side of the Academy Gala, with agents and execs from just about every entertainment company forming squads — most with pun-filled names like Disney’s Monster Dinks, NBCUni’s Dis-Pickleball Me and CAA’s Dill Makers — to participate. “We started with four teams,” says Zee Batal, the TV producer who launched the league in late

September with reality TV showrunner Erica Hanson. “Now we have eight.

The Sopranos is one of the most critically acclaimed TV shows in history, ending its grand run in 2007 with season 6. Throughout its run, it set a benchmark for how crime drama series were supposed to be, enticing, chilling, exhilarating, and exasperating all at the same time.

Led by James Gandolfini as mob boss Tony Soprano, its finale still continues to spark debate and speculation despite all this time. A drama that ran successfully for six seasons, blending themes of brutal crime with deep psychological and family themes, The Sopranos was never destined for a seventh season it seems.

The Sopranos | Credit: HBO

The creator David Chase always had a clear vision of how the series was supposed to end despite the common belief that HBO might have something to do with its end. The series apparently had run its course and had reached its peak, so continuing it would have potentially negatively impacted the narrative.

There's no doubt that HBO's Rome, a well-received historical epic that was praised by experts, was canceled way too soon. Set in Ancient Rome during the 1st century BC, Rome centers on Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) and Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd). Against all odds, the Roman soldiers are pulled into crucial historical events as their beloved civilization transforms from a Republic into an Empire under Julius Caesar's (Ciarn Hinds) ambitious rule. Rome's characters also include Caesar's ruthless-yet-memorable niece, Atia of the Julii (Polly Walker), who aims to put her son, Octavian (Max Pirkis), on the throne.

A ratings success for both HBO and the BBC, Rome was lauded by critics, historians, and audiences alike. However, despite all the praise, Emmy nominations, and surges in viewership that Rome garnered for the network, HBO canceled the series after just two seasons. Initially, Rome's creators had planned for at least five seasons,...

When Mad Men first burst onto the scene in 2007, it was a breath of fresh air in the television world. From the get-go, it won over both viewers and critics and by the time the final episode aired, it had become a global sensation.

The show was so universally adored that it’s hard to find anyone pointing out its flaws. With its sharp writing and period-perfect style, Mad Men became one of Matthew Weiner’s crowing jewels while racking up an impressive array of awards.

The cast of Mad Men Credits: AMC

What’s truly baffling to me, though, is how HBO, a network known for its daring and innovative shows, passed on it. It’s genuinely puzzling how such a groundbreaking series managed to slip through the cracks and go unnoticed.

How HBO Missed a Golden Opportunity!

Matthew Weiner, the mind behind Mad Men, thus finally shed light...

After six seasons of The Sopranos, the acclaimed HBO series came to an end in one of the most talked about finales in TV history. Given the massive success of the show throughout its 1999-2007 run, there were many questions as to why it ended. A number of reasons can contribute to a show ending, from the creative energy running dry to the viewership declining. However, The Sopranos ushered in a new era of television where the showrunners told complete and complex stories that would inevitably reach a fitting conclusion.

When David Chase created the series, The Sopranos changed television with a daring, bold, and utterly unique approach to storytelling. Tony Soprano was a protagonist that audiences were interested in, as a mobster dealing with his own mental health issues, but he was also a monster who did irredeemable things. The groundbreaking show won 21 Emmys and was nominated for 111 more...

One of the best performances on television was solidified when James Gandolfini played Tony Soprano in The Sopranos. But maybe he was worn out from having to bring the nuanced persona to life.

The documentary Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos discussed an intervention that former HBO CEO Chris Albrecht arranged for Gandolfini to address his alcohol troubles.

Albrecht claims that after a tense period, they convened at his New York residence to settle differences. Gandolfini, however, reacted angrily upon seeing his friends and family present.

“We did an intervention with him at my apartment in New York,” Albrecht said. “That was to try to get him to go to a facility for rehab. We’d had a lot of friction by that point. He walked in, saw everyone, and said, ‘Aw, f— this.’ He turned to me and went, ‘Fire me,’ and then left.”

Gandolfini History With The...

It has been over 40 years since the premium cable channel HBO started launching its first original series and 25 years since the breakout success of The Sopranos. Ever since then, the name HBO has become synonymous with quality. The network's lack of obligations to advertisers has allowed it to give its creators far more creative freedom than traditional television networks and take bigger chances with the stories it tells.

The major Hollywood television awards show is the Primetime Emmys, handed out annually to celebrate the very best in American prime time television in a wide range of technical and artistic categories. HBO has consistently been one of the leading networks with the most Emmy nominations every year for more than a decade.

Updated by Alex Roush on September 08, 2024: The quality and craftsmanship of HBO's shows are routinely acknowledged, with some of them being among the biggest Emmy winners of the modern era.

As Tony Soprano so eloquently put it, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day.” But for James Gandolfini, it may be that everyone around him was wrong twice a day. Gandolfini helped change the landscape of modern television through The Sopranos but he had just as many headaches as his “waste management” counterpart. Only, these didn’t involve Livia, Ralph or any number of constant nags for Tony.

As recounted in the new documentary Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos (currently streaming on Max), Gandolfini’s temper and other shortcomings would get in the way of his desire to work. As Steven Van Zandt – who played the loyal, bandana-clad Silvio Dante – remembered, “He probably quit the show every other day. Maybe every day. Every other day we would go to a bar and we would have the exact same conversation. We’d get drunk and [he’d] say, ‘I’m done.

James Gandolfini is most well-known for his portrayal of Tony Soprano in the hit HBO series. A new documentary shines a light on some of the struggles the actor faced throughout his career. Several of his colleagues have opened up about what it was like to work with him and, specifically, talked about a time when they staged an intervention for James. Here is what happened.

New HBO Doc Talks About James Gandolfini

Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos is a new documentary on the HBO series. There is no doubt that playing a role like Tony Soprano had a profound impact on the James Gandolfini’s life.

Former HBO CEO Chris Albrecht spoke in an interview in the new doc and recalled trying to stage an intervention for James Gandolfini. They wanted to convince him to go to rehab to address his alcohol addiction.

“We did an intervention...

“I really regret the amount of fucking verbiage from this morning,” the man in Dr. Jennifer Melfi’s office says. “Who gives a shit, about all these personal questions?”

While this could easily be a quote from Dr. Melfi’s most infamous patient, New Jersey wiseguy Tony Soprano, it is in fact uttered by David Chase — the veteran TV producer who created Tony, Melfi, and every other character on the immortal series The Sopranos. When he says it, Chase is sitting in a recreation of the good doctor’s office,...

Though he’s made films for theatrical release and the occasional series for a different network or streamer, prolific documentarian Alex Gibney and the HBO nonfiction brand have become borderline synonymous over the past decade. It was almost inevitable that Gibney would, at some point, take the serpent’s tail into his mouth and make a documentary about HBO.

Gibney’s first stab at HBOuroboros is Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos, a documentary that is, per its title, completely self-explanatory. Simultaneously tracing the life of David Chase and the run of his game-changing mob dramedy, the two-parter is a must-watch for fans of The Sopranos — even television critics for whom many of its juiciest details are already established lore.

Especially in its 85-minute second part, which has to cover most of the Sopranos’ stretch after its first season, Wise Guys isn’t always as “definitive” as it wants to be,...

The lore of “The Sopranos” is dissected in buzzy two-part documentary “Wise Guy: David Chase and ‘The Sopranos.'”

The feature, which debuted at Tribeca 2024, is directed by Academy Award winner Alex Gibney, who once again partners with HBO after helming “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley” and “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.” Per the official synopsis, the documentary “delves deep into the psyche of renowned ‘Sopranos’ creator and writer, David Chase, to illuminate his life and career while offering a unique window into his unparalleled work on the iconic program.”

Of course, as “Sopranos” fans know, the series debuted 25 years ago in 1999.

For “Wise Guy,” director Gibney puts series creator Chase in the psychiatrist’s chair to analyze the origins of the iconic show that drew upon his own upbringing in north New Jersey. Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Drea de Matteo, and...

More than 20 years ago, we embarked on the unparalleled phenomenon of Steven Spielberg’s success with Band of Brothers—a feat that many believe is nearly impossible to replicate. With everything that modern TV production demands, is it possible for this war drama miniseries to take another hit?

In 2001, when the remarkable story of ‘Easy’ Company leaped from the pages of history onto our screens, it wasn’t just another war drama; it was a groundbreaking event that would set the bar for the genre. Spielberg, alongside visionary allies Tom Hanks & Gary Goetzman, harnessed an exceptional tale of courage and camaraderie, delivering it with a finesse rarely granted by studios today.

Band of Brothers | HBO

With no meddling from HBO and unprecedented liberty at the time, they created a series that not only riveted viewers but also did so with the studio’s daring trust & financial backing. That being said,...

Overflowing with insight; stuffed with revelatory interviews and anecdotes and archival footage; as bursting with flavor as a baked ziti; and as immersive, in its way, as the show itself, “Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos” is Alex Gibney’s sensationally artful and engrossing two-hour-and-40-minute documentary about the greatest show in the history of television.

If you’re a fanatic for “The Sopranos” (and who isn’t?), you probably already know a fair amount about how the show came to be, and “Wise Guy,” for a while, treads familiar ground. The film is framed as a profile of the show’s visionary creator and showrunner, David Chase (the opening credits redo the driving-into-Jersey “Sopranos” credits with Chase in the passenger seat), who is interviewed by Gibney on an exact mock-up of the set of Dr. Melfi’s psychiatrist office, a joke/stunt that recedes into the background yet never loses its playful resonance,...

Robert Iler, aka Tony Soprano’s son A.J., said it best Thursday night at Tribeca Festival’s 25th anniversary The Sopranos get-together: “Now my friends are going to shitty high school reunions and I’m going to cool stuff like this.”

Tribeca tonight premiered the Alex Gibney-directed HBO documentary Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos, to a packed Beacon Theatre on the upper west side of Manhattan. What Star Wars means to a Star Wars fan, this documentary is a love letter and an ultimate prized watch for Sopranos fans.

Filled not just with old audition tapes and the backstory of Chase’s inspiration (it’s all about Momma), Wise Guy gives the warts and all: How HBO CEO Chris Albrecht held an intervention for James Gandolfini with the cast in the exec’s NYC apartment (who would skip work and battle his own demons); the actor tells the suit “Fire me!

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks are known for their iconic collaborations across different genres. One of the most frequent collaborators, the director-actor pairing is famous for heralding a new era of cinema and pioneering modern cinema. Amongst their many revered projects, the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers occupies a special place.

Band of Brothers (2001) | HBO

Not only was the series the first of its kind, a big-budget mini-series with wide aspect ratio shots, but it also redefined the era of Modern television, better known as Prestige TV. No less than a cinematic wonder, the series kickstarted a television revolution that has made projects like Game of Thrones a possibility.

Steven Spielberg & Tom Hanks’ Band of Brothers Changed the Course of Modern Television

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks created Band of Brothers (PC: YouTube | ABC News)

Created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, Band of Brothers was one-of-a-kind television series back when it was being made.

Exclusive: There’s a famous line from the Spanish poet Antonio Machado that is familiar to most Spaniards: “Caminante, no hay camino. Se hace camino al andar,” which translates as “Traveler, there is no path. The path is made by walking.”

If there’s one Spanish company that is determinedly paving the way for Spanish-language content in the global sphere, it’s Secuoya Content Group, a fully-fledged independent studio bidding to become a global destination for content, all while putting Spain on the map in an unprecedented way.

The company counts Hollywood stalwarts Chris Albrecht and Ted Sarandos among its array of international friends and the Netflix content chief tells Deadline the streamer is committed to deepening its roots there. Former HBO, Starz and Legendary Television exec Albrecht, meanwhile has partnered with Secuoya’s film and TV content production arm, Secuoya Studios, through his new banner Rubicon Global Media and...

Starz on Wednesday canceled Shining Vale after two seasons and removed the horror comedy starring Courteney Cox from its digital platforms. In an interview published Thursday, Minx star Jake Johnson told Deadline that he did not expect a Season 3 renewal for the period erotic comedy, which had been rescued by Starz after its cancellation by Max.

Shining Vale and Minx are Starz’s last remaining current comedy series. The premium network, which is in the process of separating from Minx producer Lionsgate Television, has about a half-dozen upcoming scripted series, all of them dramas.

According to sources, Starz executives in private conversations with producers have lamented that comedy is not working on the network.

There have not been development announcements for comedy projects set up at Starz in a year and a half, and I hear the network is not top of mind when comedy pitches are taken out.

Sources...

Content Americas, the fast-rising trade event in Miami, has unveiled the finalists for its 2024 Content Americas CoPro Pitch and Content Americas Hispanic Kids Programming Pitch.

According to event organizer C21, more than 80 submissions rolled in for the CoPro Pitch and over 50 for the Kids Pitch from seasoned producers across Latin America, Spain and Portugal.

Among the CoPro Pitch finalists are scripted series “Hot Sur,” an adaptation of the Laura Restrepo bestseller about an undocumented Mexican immigrant looking after her bipolar sister in the U.S. This hails from Chilean powerhouse shingle, Fabula, run by Pablo and Juan de Dios Larrain, in partnership with Fremantle. Spain’s The Mediapro Studio submitted “El mal,” an 8-episode thriller based on actual events. Set in Barcelona during the pandemic lockdown, a serial killer has been targeting those who literally have no refuge, the homeless.

Leading the Hispanic Kids Programming Pitch entries are animated adventure pic,...

Exclusive: BET Media Group is developing the unscripted series The Twins from Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s G-Unit Film & Television and Lionsgate’s Pilgrim Media Group.

The series centers around the Flores brothers, Margarito and Pedro, identical twins who became multi-millionaire, cocaine kingpins by the age of 18 and who would eventually assist in the capture and take-down of drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

The Twins will serve as a companion to the award-winning podcast Surviving El Chapo: The Twins Who Brought Down A Drug Lord, which was produced by Lionsgate Sound and G-Unit Audio, and recently released a second season.

Following their arrest, Margarito and Pedro Flores turned their backs on their lucrative drug operation and cooperated with the DEA in exchange for more lenient sentences. Both served 14 years in prison before being released in 2022 to the witness protection program. Margarito Flores continues to walk on the right side of the law.

Exclusive: Latin Grammy-winner Eladio Carrión is going Hollywood. A comedy series that will draw inspiration from the life of the Urban Latino star is in development in collaboration between Carrión and Chris Albrecht and Jorge Granier’s Rubicon Global Media. Carrión is set to produce and will potentially star.

The series will draw inspiration from Carrión’s own life, sharing the journey of an American teenager who finds himself uprooted to Puerto Rico from the states. Navigating the challenges of adapting to a new culture and language, the series will be a blissful and unique blend of bi-cultural humor, heart and cultural exploration.

“This project will start a new era of my career, opening the door to Film and Television, something I’ve been passionate about since I was a kid. I’m excited to embark on this journey with Rubicon Global Media to bring to life a story based...

Exclusive: Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is teaming up with Jorge Granier and Chris Albrecht of Rubicon Global Media to develop and co-produce the Spanish and English-language crime drama, Prey Before You Eat (w/t).

The series follows anti-hero Andres Hernandez who is on the run as life goes sideways in New York City. He returns to Puerto Rico to reconnect with family only to discover their true history and a whole new set of problems to navigate in his new home.

The project reunites Jackson and Albrecht, former CEO and President of Starz who greenlit the Power series that has spawned three successful spinoff series thus far.

“I am excited to join forces again with Chris, we have had great success together with the Power Universe. I look forward to bringing more premium content to underserved audiences and doing it with my friend Chris makes it that much better,” Jackson tells Deadline in an exclusive statement.

Speakers included Chris Albrecht, the founder of Rubicon Global Media and former president of Legendary Television.

The challenges of financing series at a time of rising production costs and reduced spending by streamers and broadcasters was one of the major talking points at this week’s inaugural South International Series Festival in Cadiz, which ran from October 6-12.

Panellists at the festival’s industry programme debated how to finance series when the market is contracting. Speakers agreed fewer projects will be greenlit in the near future, as many as 25% fewer according to one exec, as streamers and broadcasters retrenched and dealt with higher production costs.

Cadiz-based festival kicks off today with gala for refugee drama ’La Ley Del Mar’.

The inaugural South International Series Festival has unveiled its industry programme which runs alongside its progamme of public screenings and events from October 6-12.

Based in the ancient port city of Cadiz, the festival launches today with an opening gala for refugee drama La Ley del Mar, starring Luis Tosar and Blanca Portillo, produced by Studio 60, Rtve and A punt. Some 45 series will play in the festival’s official selection in five different sections. Another 60 titles, spanning both fiction and non-fiction, will have previews and screenings.

Exclusive: Rubicon Global Media, the company recently formed by Chris Albrecht and Jorge Granier to aggregate leading intellectual property from Latin America and Spain, has entered a strategic partnership with Mexico-based film and television production firm Btf Media.

Building on Rubicon’s partnership with Madrid’s Secuoya Studios, Btf Media will provide development funding for select Rubicon projects, accelerating its efforts to aggregate IP from Mexico and transform it into story driven content with multi-national appeal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Led by entrepreneurs and producers Francisco E Cordero and Ricardo Coeto, Btf Media has produced several series including Maradona: Blessed Dream for Amazon Prime Video, Papas por Encargo for Disney+ and La Muchacha que Limpia for HBO Max, among others.

The company recently announced the premiere of Villa: El Centauro del Norte for Star+ and Te Quiero y me Duele for Max. In addition, Btf has produced...

Jason Clodfelter is leaving Sony Pictures Television after a nearly two-decade run.

Clodfelter, who most recently served as co-president of the studio under the recently installed Katherine Pope, has joined Legendary Television and will become the president of the studio behind shows including Amazon’s Carnival Row. He will work closely with vice chairman of worldwide production Mary Parent to develop new scripted series across all platforms.

Clodfelter replaces Chris Albrecht atop Legendary TV. Albrecht, the former Starz chief, was placed on administrative leave at Legendary in October 2022 after new details emerged about the executive’s former time at HBO. He departed not long afterward and this week launched a Spanish-language media studio.

“We are pleased to welcome Jason to the Legendary team, where he will be a tremendous asset as we continue to grow our television business with compelling content that resonates with our audiences worldwide. His creative instincts,...

Legendary Entertainment has a new President of Television.

The studio has hired Sony Pictures Television Studios Co‐President Jason Clodfelter in the role.

Clodfelter, who is leaving Sony after 17 years, will develop new scripted series and limited series at Legendary, which is behind series such as Amazon’s Carnival Row and Apple’s Drops of God. He essentially replaces Chris Albrecht, who left the company last year.

Clodfelter will work closely with Mary Parent, Legendary Pictures’ Vice Chairman of Worldwide Production. Carmi Zlotnik remains at the company, overseeing the production side.

Clodfelter was named Co-President of Sony Pictures Television Studios in 2017, where he oversaw U.S. drama and comedy development, U.S. scripted and current programming, global programming and development, talent and casting, TriStar Television, marketing, and research. His last day is August 11.

During his tenure, the company produced series such as The Night Agent, The Boys franchise, Cobra Kai,...

Former HBO topper Chris Albrecht and Jane the Virgin executive producer Jorge Granier have partnered to launch Rubicon Global Media with an eye to producing Spanish-language content for the world market.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Rubicon Global Media has struck a strategic partnership with Spain’s Secuoya Content Group, led by former HBO exec James Costos, that will see Albrecht and Granier produce story-driven content for Latin American audiences by aggregating intellectual property from the U.S. and Spain.

Albrecht most recently served as managing director of Legendary Television (the executive left the company after being placed on a leave of absence last October). He previously was president and CEO of Starz following a run as chairman and CEO of HBO, and president of HBO original programming. While at HBO, Albrecht oversaw popular series like Sex and the City, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Deadwood, Band of Brothers,...

Exclusive: Former Legendary Television President and Starz CEO Chris Albrecht and Jane the Virgin executive producer Jorge Granier have formed Rubicon Global Media, a firm designed to aggregate leading intellectual property from Latin America and Spain, transforming it into content with worldwide appeal. The company also will produce story-driven content for Latin American audiences.

In addition, Rubicon Global Media has entered a strategic partnership with Spanish-language production and distribution outfit Secuoya Studios, a division of Madrid-based Secuoya Content Group, which will provide development funding and deficit financing for select Rubicon Global Media projects. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Secuoya Studios, led by former HBO executive James Costos (who also was U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra from 2013-17), creates fiction series, docuseries, unscripted television and feature films focused on the Latin American, Spanish and Spanish-speaking U.S. markets. The studio, with offices in Latin America, Miami, Los Angeles and Spain,...

When the time came for the cast and crew of Party Down to reassemble for an improbable sequel season, the first order of business was to find out when Adam Scott would be available to do it. “The truth is,” explains Party Down co-creator Rob Thomas, “that we found a window for Adam, started with that window, and said, ‘Who all can make it in here?’”

Part of this is simply that Scott is perhaps the busiest of all the many successful alums of the once and future Starz comedy...

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel has often staked out a moral high ground as he built Endeavor, most recently calling on companies doing business with Kanye West to end their relationships with the rapper after an anti-Semitic rant. In 2010, he famously cut ties with WME client Mel Gibson after racist slurs. Now, he faces a conundrum at his company’s crown jewel, UFC, whose longtime CEO Dana White was seen on a rather shocking leaked video smacking his wife on New Year’s Eve.

Neither Endeavor nor Emanuel have yet weighed in on White, and Endeavor reps weren’t immediately available to comment Wednesday.

On Kanye West, Emanuel was a bystander. White’s situation is closer to home.

Video footage posted by TMZ of an argument on the balcony of a VIP suite at the Cabo San Lucas nightclub in Mexico, shows White’s wife Anne slap him after he grabs her wrist.

Chris Albrecht is officially departing Legendary TV and vacating his role as president, an insider with knowledge of the situation confirmed to TheWrap.

The executive was placed on administrative leave in October after details of his time at HBO emerged from Felix Gillette and John Koblin’s book, “It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO.” That book detailed allegations that he had choked former HBO executive Sasha Emerson in the summer of 1991 — months after they ended a consensual affair while both were married.

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Legendary Television Head Chris Albrecht Placed on Administrative Leave

At that time, Albrecht was in charge of original programming and worked with Emerson on HBO Independent Productions. A police report was not filed at the time of the alleged incident.

The allegations found within the book were made public in October of this year, after which a spokesman for Albrecht denied the incident took place.

Chris Albrecht‘s time at Legendary Television is just about over.

Deadline has confirmed that Albrecht is expected to vacate his post as president. He was placed on leave in October after new details from his days at HBO emerged from the book “It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO” By Felix Gillette and John Koblin.

The book covers how Albrecht allegedly choked former HBO executive Sasha Emerson in the summer of 1991 — months after they ended their consensual affair while they were both married. At the time, Albrecht was in charge of original programming and worked with Emerson on HBO Independent Productions. A police report was not filed.

When the contents of the book were made public in October, a spokesman for Albrecht denied the incident took place. Albrecht released his own statement, which in part said, “After more than 30 years an old, flawed story...

"The Sopranos" features some incredible episodes. It was more cinematic than a gangster show was expected to be in the '90s and, as /Film's Shae Sennett writes, creator David Chase was aware of its potential as a national phenomenon. It was a television show about a Mafia man, of course, but borne of Chase's experiences in therapy, this mob boss would learn everything about himself and change little — a concept that would eventually dominate the wave of prestige TV to come.

For its six-season run from 1999 to 2007, the HBO crime series mostly stayed in northern New Jersey, where the Dimeo crime family would operate with Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) at the top. But some of its most celebrated episodes — Christopher goes to Hollywood, Carmela and Rosalie go to Paris — broke free of the show's own boundaries and gave a chance for the traveler-protagonist to add some depth to their character arc.

Budd Friedman, the comedy club pioneer who founded the original Improv in New York in 1963 and gave early career breaks to the likes of Jay Leno, Robert Klein, Bette Midler, Richard Pryor and Andy Kaufman, has died. He was 90.

Friedman died Saturday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his wife, Alix, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Three years after Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show departed Manhattan for Burbank, Friedman opened a Hollywood outpost of the Improv on Melrose Avenue in 1975 in his first expansion of the brand.

There were 22 Improvs across 12 states in February 2018 when Friedman and partner Mark Lonow sold the company to Levity Entertainment Group, whose investors included Irving Azoff.

At his flagship New York hotspot, located at West 44th Street and Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, Friedman also employed Rodney Dangerfield as an Mc, Elayne Boosler...

After writing “The Sopranos” episodes, Matthew Weiner thought he was part of the HBO “family.”

However, the “Mad Men” creator revealed that new executive management at the network following visionary Chris Albrecht’s exit led to him being ignored, per the new book “It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO” by Felix Gillette and John Koblin.

According to the oral history of the network, then-hbo President Carolyn Strauss “snubbed” Weiner and HBO did not even respond to the “Mad Men” pitch, despite “The Sopranos” showrunner David Chase urging “everyone at the network to give it a look.”

Weiner recalled, “It was very disappointing to me, as I pushed the rock up the hill, that they did not notice me. Because I was part of the family.”

Eventually, “Mad Men” landed at cable network AMC, whose goal was to “do an HBO kind of series,” as Weiner said.

Operatic epic “The Sopranos” almost received a name change for sounding a little too much like a sitcom about singers — and potentially being too much like “Moonstruck.”

New book “It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO,” by Felix Gillette and John Koblin, revealed that initially “HBO executives didn’t like the name since it sounded like a show about opera,” and the pilot for Emmy-winning “The Sopranos” scored poorly with the core demographics.

Former HBO executive Chris Albrecht noted that the biggest emphasis for the long-running mafia series was authenticity, including being filmed on location in New Jersey.

“That was my big beef about ‘Moonstruck’: phony Italians, phony New York,” Albrecht said. “We always knew it would be more money. But we wanted to make sure that we weren’t full of shit. And making those kinds of commitments would tell people that we were for real.

Here's a challenge. Read a random "TV shows canceled too soon" listicle floating around the internet. A series that will be on every single one (at least any that was written with a little bit of taste) is "Deadwood," HBO's gone-too-soon western.

The series ran a respectable three seasons (36 episodes) on HBO from 2004 to 2006, but ended inconclusively. The cast and crew also had more to tell. While everyone eventually got the chance to conclude the story with a two-hour wrap-up movie in 2019, "Deadwood: The Movie" was an epilogue, not a full new season of material.

Set in the eponymous South Dakota town during the 1870s, "Deadwood" was Shakespearean — literally, for most of the dialogue was written in iambic pentameter (and bounced from tragedy to farce just like the Bard's work did). The show was fairly faithful (but not bound) to history, with real men as the two leads: lawman Seth...

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Welcome to the 189th episode of TV’s Top 5, The Hollywood Reporter’s TV podcast.

Every week, hosts Lesley Goldberg (West Coast TV editor) and Daniel Fienberg (chief TV critic) break down the latest TV news with context from the business and critical sides, welcome showrunners, executives and other guests, and provide a critical guide of what to watch (or skip, as the case may be).

During this week’s episode, we are joined by multihyphenate Clea DuVall to discuss adapting Tegan and Sara Quinn’s memoir into Freevee’s well-reviewed series High School as other segments feature discussions on the latest round of layoffs at Warner Bros. Discovery, Ryan Murphy’s future at Netflix and much more.

Here’s how the episode plays out:

1. Headlines

Netflix’s ad tier, Kurt Sutter, Devil in the White City, Trevor Noah and Chris Albrecht are...

Legendary Television boss Chris Albrecht has been placed on administrative leave, individuals with knowledge of the matter confirmed to TheWrap.

No reason has been given for the company taking this action, nor has Legendary released a statement on the matter. However, the leave comes after news that an upcoming book about the history of HBO includes an allegation that Albrecht physically assaulted another HBO executive early during his tenure at the cable channel. “It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution and Future of HBO” is written by Felix Gillette and John Koblin.

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Art Laboe, Pioneering Music Radio DJ Who Coined ‘Oldies but Goodies,’ Dies at 97

According to the book, in 1991, Albrecht tried to strangle Sasha Emerson, a former HBO executive with whom he’d had an affair. The book says she left the company and an unspecified settlement with the network was later reached.

The book includes a statement from Albrecht,...