James Badge Dale Signs On As Lead and Allen Coulter Signs on to Direct as-yet Untitled Political Thriller
From Writer and Executive Producer Jason Horwitch Project Marks Third Pilot from AMC
Production Scheduled for January 2009
New York, NY – December 18, 2008 – AMC announced today a pilot order for a yet-to-be-named untitled political thriller (UPT) and has partnered with Warner Horizon Television as the studio to produce it. The project is from writer and executive producer Jason Horwitch. This marks the third pilot order from AMC and production is scheduled to begin in late January 2009. The first two pilots that the network developed were Mad Men and Breaking Bad, both of which led to full series orders.
Today’s announcement also names top level talent that has signed on to star and produce the pilot. James Badge Dale (The Departed) has signed on as the lead, along with Oscar-nominated actress Miranda Richardson (Sleepy Hollow), Christopher Evan Welch (Vicky Cristina Barcelona) and Lauren Hodges (Law & Order) as co-stars. Kerry Orent (Michael Clayton, Rescue Me) has been named producer, with Allen Coulter as director (Hollywoodland, Damages, Kingpin and Nurse Jackie) and Avy Kauffman (The Sixth Sense, King Kong, Garden State) as casting director.
"This script is an iconic AMC project in that it combines great storytelling with a world that hasn’t been explored on television before. Think tanks are inherently mysterious places with murky agendas, and it’s a great setting for a show like this. Jason’s understanding of the conspiracy thriller genre is evident in a plot reminiscent of some great films like Three Days of the Condor and The Parallax View. We’re also thrilled to have a world class cast, director, and production team to bring this pilot to life," said Joel Stillerman, SVP of original programming, production and digital content for AMC.
The Untitled Political Thriller revolves around a secret society that pulls the strings on the world political stage. The series focuses on an analyst at a national think tank who discovers that his employers are not who they seem to be.
Horwitch, who created and exec produced FX’s Pentagon Papers and NBC’s Medical Investigation, is represented by ICM and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
About AMC
AMC is a multi-platform network that celebrates classic movies and high-quality scripted series. Among the elite services available in nearly 94 million homes (Source: Nielsen Media Research), AMC defines what it means to be a classic movie network today, creating a distinctive viewing experience that celebrates all that is enduringly cool, personal and powerfully relevant about movies. AMC’s comprehensive library of popular movies strike a meaningful chord with its audience, and its critically-acclaimed slate of originals all have a cinematic quality that allow them to complement and be complemented by some of the best movies of all time. AMC is a subsidiary of Rainbow Media Holdings LLC, which includes sister networks IFC, WE tv and Sundance Channel. AMC is THE FUTURE OF CLASSIC.
About Warner Horizon Television
Warner Horizon Television (WHTV) is one of the entertainment industry’s fastest-growing television companies, specializing in the creation of scripted series for the cable marketplace, and primetime reality series for both network and cable. Founded in 2006, this second production entity allows the Warner Bros. Television Group to expand its programming offerings and explore creative options made possible under a new business model. WHTV will produce 11 series for broadcast and cable networks in 2009, with six new series and five returning shows.