MGM Plus will bring back its sci-fi/horror series From for a third season, the network announced. 

The series will continue to follow the mystery of a nightmarish town that traps all those who enter, according to the premium service. The 10-episode third season is expected to return in 2024. 

“The first two seasons of From captivated critics and terrified and engaged fans, who have formed a thriving online community that is trying to put the pieces together week by week as the secrets of the nightmarish town – and possibly beyond – are slowly revealed,” MGM Plus Head Michael Wrights said in a statement. "We can’t wait for fans to see the surprises ahead in season three, which promises more scares and mysteries but also more answers.”

From stars Harold Perrineau as well as Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey, Hannah Cheramy, Simon Webster, Ricky He and Chloe Van Landschoot. 

Also: ‘From’ Producers Promise More Frights  

The series is executive produced by Jeff Pinkner, John Griffin, Jack Bender, Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Scott Rosenberg Joe Russo. Mike Larocca and Lindsay Dunn.

Sunday (January 15) the Epix premium service officially changes its name to MGM Plus as it looks to combine its lineup of original series with the fabled MGM brand of classic movies.

MGM Plus President Michael Wright recently told Multichannel News that the rebrand -- part of Amazon’s acquisition of MGM -- will help bring more awareness to the network’s slate of programming, which includes such originals as Godfather of Harlem, FROM, A Spy Among Friends, Murf the Surf, Rogue Heroes and Billy the Kid.

“The MGM brand is meaningful to consumers,” Wright said. “It’s been very consistent in offering high production value, great talent and entertainment content to a sophisticated audience. We’re offering movies and original series that speak to that audience as we celebrate a brand that people know.”

Also: MGM Plus Renews ‘Rogue Heroes,’ ‘Billy the Kid’ Series as It Preps for Rebrand: TCA

Click below to watch more of the interview with Michael Wright in a new MCN Originals Videos segment. ■

Epix recently marked its 10th year in operation with a great deal of momentum in terms of distribution as well as original series development. The MGM-owned premium network’s recent carriage deal with AT&T and an expanded renewal with Comcast — which includes the Dec. 12 launch of a newly launched suite of ScreenPix channels — will provide Epix with increased exposure in a very crowded premium cable marketplace.

As for originals, Epix has looked to compete with HBO, Showtime and Starz with shows such as Forest Whitaker drama Godfather of Harlem; the recently renewed Pennyworth, the origin story of Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth; and drama series Belgravia, set to debut in 2020.

CEO Michael Wright, the former Turner programmer and Amblin Partners chief who joined Epix in 2017, spoke with Multichannel News about the network’s journey and about the multiplatform future it is charting. Here are edited highlights.

MCN: A decade into its existence, has Epix effectively laid the foundation for future success?
Michael Wright: I think you’re always trying to get to the next level, so wherever you are you’re always looking at the next step. I think the progress of the network has been incredible. When we got here two years ago, the network was at 40 million homes; today, we’re available in more than 120 million homes, so our distribution footprint has grown dramatically. We’ve added Comcast, DirecTV, Roku, Amazon and our own direct-to-consumer platform in Epix Now. When you make the network available to more people, more people sign up. Without getting into the numbers, I can tell you that the growth has been exponential, and certainly the addition of the Comcast packaging has been enormous for us. It’s really an affirmation of that fact that Epix is here to play. We have a fantastic lineup of movies and really robust originals.

MCN: How does your Comcast deal and its decision to potentially drop Starz and Encore change the landscape?
MW: Comcast is the biggest distributor out there, so to have a company as fantastic and forward-thinking as Comcast seek us out and say “we like your product and we want to package you” is an incredible affirmation of the network itself, but also the business plan. Our goal is to build something qualitatively competitive that is fairly priced and make ourselves as undeniable as we can. As far as the premium space goes, I think we are proud members of that club, and we enthusiastically identify as the underdog. HBO, Showtime and Starz have been here longer and are great platforms, and we’re happy to be part of that club and to have audiences noticing us now.

MCN: How much has Epix’s renewed focus on original content played in its distribution growth?
MW: In the last year alone you look at Perpetual Grace, with Sir Ben Kinglsey, our docuseries Punk, which has won all kinds of awards, as well as Pennyworth and Godfather of Harlem. As each one of these shows has premiered, it has brought new eyeballs to the network, it has grown subscriptions and grown awareness throughout the network. That awareness is vital to your success in an incredibly competitive landscape. We’re aiming for that audience that used to go to the movies more than they do today. Those audiences are looking for sophisticated narratives that reflect characters that are relevant and delivered in an entertaining package. I feel good about the product that we’re putting out there right now, and people are finding it. We also understand the “curation vs. scale” challenge. We’re very aware we’re competing with big monolithic platforms for viewers’ interest. We know that means every show we put on has to be meaningful and attract a specific, passionate audience. Thoughtful curation, delivered to a discerning audience looking for cinematic television at a value price, is our lane.

MCN: How big a role do theatricals play with regard to viewer appeal?
MW: You need both. Originals will help you break through the clutter because of the press around them as well as the newness and exclusivity surrounding them. Once people come to your platform, they want to see value and a bang for their buck, so with Epix you not only get the great originals but you also get an incredibly robust lineup of movies.

MCN: What’s the game plan for Epix over the next few years as the industry continues to evolve?
MW: To keep our foot on the gas pedal and take all of our momentum, double down on it and grow in two lanes. We are as excited as everyone else about the digital platform world where we’ve made deals with Amazon, Roku, Apple. We’re out there and we’re positioned to grow with them. We also have our direct-to-consumer platform which we’ve built, and it’s growing rapidly. But we’re also still focused on the MVPD space. HBO, Starz and Showtime have turned to other platforms to grow their business, but we actually have a lot of room still to grow within the traditional MVPD platform.

EPIX said it has placed a straight-to-series order for Godfather of Harlem, a 10-episode drama starring Forest Whitaker and produced by ABC Signature Studios. Production will begin later this year and the show is intended to debut in 2019 on the Lionsgate-owned premium network.

Showrunner Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein will write and produce, and Whitaker also will executive produce through his company, Significant Productions. 

Per EPIX, Godfather of Harlem is about crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Whitaker), who gets out of prison in the early 1960s and seeks to regain control of his neighborhood streets from the Genovese crime family. He aligns with Malcolm X in a story that "is a collision of the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement during one of the most tumultuous times in American history."

“We read the script, and met with Chris, Paul and Forest, and knew immediately that this show was perfect for EPIX,” EPIX president Michael Wright said in a release. “It’s an exciting and relevant story, brought to life by passionate, extraordinary talent and a great studio in ABC Signature. It’s exactly the kind of series we want to put on EPIX as we build awareness and expand the network’s distribution across the country.”

Adds ABC Studios president Patrick Moran: "EPIX is the perfect home for the fascinating and timeless story of Bumpy Johnson. We're so appreciative of the unwavering enthusiasm and passion that Michael and his team have brought to the project. Chris and Paul's script is phenomenal and we're thrilled to have Oscar winner Forest Whitaker on board to produce and star."

And says Whitaker: “Godfather of Harlem is a show with powerful relevance to the issues we face today – gang violence, police brutality, opioid addiction and racial politics in a divided country. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to bring this character to life and to work with Michael Wright, the EPIX team, and ABC Signature, alongside excellent writers and producers.” 

Former Turner programming chief Michael Wright has been named president of Epix, assuming his new role on Dec. 4.

Wright was appointed to his new role by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, which completed its purchase of the remaining interest in Epix it didn’t already own in April.  He will report to MGM chairman and CEO Gary Barber, who had served as interim president of Epix after former Epix president and CEO Mark Greenberg left in September, and will lead creative and marketing efforts for the channel.   Business operations will continue to be overseen by Monty Sarhan, Epix executive vice president & general manager. Sarhan will also work closely with Chris Ottinger, MGM’s president, Worldwide Television Distribution & Acquisitions on all distribution matters. 

Wright has a long history in the entertainment business. He most recently served as CEO of Amblin Partners, a content creation company he launched with director Steven Spielberg in 2015 and was named CEO of DreamWorks Studios in 2014. Wright served as president and head of programming for Turner, TBS, TNT, and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) from 2002 to 2014, when he left the company amid a voluntary buyout of more than 500 employees.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Michael into the MGM family,” Barber said in a statement. ”His television industry experience and creative instincts are the perfect combination to help us execute on our original content strategy for Epix and drive additional value creation for MGM overall.”

Epix has recently gotten more aggressive on the original programming front, expanding its lineup to include The Truth About the Harry QuebertAffair, currently in production in Montreal and starring Patrick Dempsey in his return to television, Ben Schnetzer, Virginia Madsen and Damon Wayans Jr..  Early next year, MGM Television will begin production on the second season of Get Shorty, starring Ray Romano and Chris O’Dowd. Those series join existing Epix originals like Berlin Station and Golden Globe nominated Graves, docu-series America Divided, Danica, about racing superstar Danica Patrick, and big movie franchises James Bond, Rocky, and Star Trek.

“Epix, under MGM’s ownership, is strongly positioned to excel as a provider of engaging, entertaining original content,” Wright said in a statement. “This is an exciting time in our business, and I'm looking forward to working with Gary, the EPIX and MGM teams, to bring the best storytelling voices to the network and move EPIX into the next phase of its growth.”

Longtime Turner programming executive Michael Wright is switching from the small to the big screen.

It didn’t take Wright -- who has been serving as president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies -- long to find a new gig, as he was named CEO of DreamWorks Studios. Wright, who has not worked in theatricals, will succeed outgoing DreamWorks CEO Stacey Snider. He will start his new gig on Jan. 3, 2015.

“I have had the pleasure of working alongside Michael for many years and have come to know him as a talented executive whose creative vision, leadership, and passion are a perfect fit for our company,” said DreamWorks chairman Steven Spielberg, to whom Wright will report. “He has a keen understanding of storytelling and how to deliver those stories in every shape and size, regardless of platform. I am delighted to welcome him to DreamWorks Studios.”

Miniseries Into the West and drama Falling Skies emanated at Amblin and then onto TNT's air. The studio, working in conjunction with TNT Original Productions, is slated to premiere Public Morals on the service next year. 

Turner announced last week that Wright, a 12-year veteran of the company, would depart. The company has initiated voluntary buyouts and been engaged in an executive reshuffling under CEO John Martin.

Wright will not be involved in DreamWorks television unit, Amblin Television, which will continue to be headed by Daryl Frank and Justin Falvey.

A contender to replace Steve Koonin, who left as the head of Turner Entertainment Networks last spring to become CEO and an equity player with the NBA”s Atlanta Hawks, Wright seemed to be under fire when Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes said during an earnings call with analysts in April that he was not satisfied with TNT’s ratings performance and that it hadn't taken enough creative risks.

Instead, Wright’s departure comes as TNT topped cable’s Nielsens this summer, buoyed by Michael Bay’s The Last Ship and strong performances by mainstays Rizzoli & Isles and Major Crimes. 

Wright’s Turner tenure was highlighted by the development of The Closer, the Kyra Sedgwick procedural that ranked as basic-cable top ratings performer in its day, as well as the acquisition of The Big Bang Theory, a syndicated, stacking gambit that helped push TBS well up the Nielsen charts in primetime.

Michael Wright is departing his post as president and head of programming at TNT, TBS and Turner Broadcasting. The move comes as Turner initiates voluntary buyout offers to more than 500 staffers as part of a company-wide cost-cutting plan.

A 12-year veteran of Turner, Wright originally took over programming for TNT in 2004 and by 2007 oversaw programming for all three networks. Just two days ago, TNT declared victory in the summer ratings race, finishing as the the No. 1 cable network in primetime with its original series averaging 5.6 million primetime viewers in Nielsen live-plus-seven ratings. Original dramas Rizzoli & Isles (7.6 million), Major Crimes (7.1 million) and The Last Ship (6.4 million) finished as the three most watched original cable dramas of the summer in live-plus-seven total viewers.

Wright is expected to stay on as a search for his replacement takes place. Among the available executives that could be considered for the role is Kevin Reilly, who stepped down in May from his post as entertainment chairman of Fox Broadcasting.

Read more at broadcastingcable.com.

Leading out from the third-season premiere of Major Crimes, TNT’s Murder in the First tallied nearly 4 million viewers in its debut on Monday night.

The Steven Bochco-produced crime drama averaged 3.8 million watchers in the 10 p.m. hour on June 9, according to Nielsen data. That made it basic-cable’s top series launch thus far in 2014, according to TNT officials, and the network’s best since Major Crimes scored with 7.2 million viewers, as it debuted behind the series-concluding episode of Kyra Sedgwick-starrer The Closer, which stood as the medium’s leading series before the arrival of AMC’s The Walking Dead.

Murder in the First’s June 9 bow included 808,000 persons 18 to 49 and 1.1 million adults 25 to 54.

Tacking on another 1.1 million for its immediately following encore, Murder in the First notched 4.9 million viewers on its opening night, a total that saw it add 300,000 of the demo Madison Avenue values most during the encore, as well as with the older group. The telecast now ranks as one of the year's Top 10 new series launches on basic cable with adults 18 to 49 and adults 25 to 54.

For its part, Major Crimes was the solution for 5.2 million viewers in its third-season beginning in the 9 p.m. hour  -- the most in basic cable so far in 2014 -- and 6.7 million overall when it’s encore for the evening was accounted for.  

On the demo front, Major Crimes took in combined deliveries of 1.6 million persons 18 to 49, including 1.2 million for the 9 p.m. season premiere, and 2 million adults 25 to 54, 1.5 million of whom watched the premiere.

As such, Major Crimes registered across-the-board growth compared to last summer's season two bow. The 9 p.m. telecast grew by 3% among total viewers, 6% among adults 25 to 54 and 1% among the 18-to-49 set. The combined premiere and encore audience was also up by +3% compared to last year.

"Last night was a terrific opening night for TNT's summer lineup, as well as the start of what's certain to be a summer of outstanding TNT dramas," said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies. "We are extremely proud of these two series. Major Crimes is a true mega-hit as it enters its third season, with an ensemble cast that's second to none. Murder in the First is off and running with an utterly captivating mystery brought to life by an amazing cast."

Major Crimes and Murder in the First set the stage for what’s a busy summer season for TNT. Its originals slate includes the fifth season of Rizzoli & Isles and third campaign of Perception, premiering on Tuesday, June 17; the action series The Last Ship and season four of Falling Skies, bowing on Sunday, June 22; undercover drama Legends and the fourth turn of Franklin & Bash, debuting Wednesday, Aug. 13. The second half of the Dallas remake’s third season starts on Monday, Aug. 18.

TNT will also launch new episodes of its real-life investigation series, Cold Justice, beginning Friday, June 20.

Less than six months after taking the helm of Turner Broadcasting System, CEO John Martin continues to put his stamp on the popular cable networks group, mapping out what appears to be a sweeping reorganization that could lead to more staff changes.

Dubbed “Turner 2020” — for the year the programmer will turn 50 — the initiative will build on past efforts and introduce new programs to drive growth.

“We’ve been shifting resources already, and I would ask that you think carefully about how and where to get the greatest return on the assets you control,” Martin wrote in a memo to employees. “This may mean staff changes. In fact, I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t.”

Just what Martin meant by that is unclear, and Turner executives have declined comment. But the home of such cable programming icons as TNT, TBS and CNN has been in a ratings slump lately, in part because of some channels’ reliance on older syndicated broadcast shows.

Already Turner has lost several key managers. In April, former Turner Entertainment Networks president Steve Koonin left to become CEO of the NBA Atlanta Hawks, and CNN chief operating officer and head of ad sales Greg D’Alba resigned. In March, Turner Animation Young Adults & Kids Media division president Stu Snyder and longtime Turner Broadcasting chief research officer Jack Wakshlag left.

Whether more heads will roll remains to be seen.

Most observers believe Turner president David Levy, who was named to that post in August, is relatively safe. But the jury is out on TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies president and head of programming Michael Wright.

Wright is under pressure for the ratings slump and faces competition for TNT’s NBA programming from Fox Sports. At the same time, Levy has said publicly that Wright is a candidate to replace Koonin.

Some observers have noted that Fox Broadcasting chairman of entertainment Kevin Reilly’s decision to step down from that post at the end of June has added some uncertainty to Wright’s future — losing out to Reilly for Koonin’s job could force Wright to leave.

But others said they believe the recent management turmoil is merely a function of having a new boss. Martin joined Turner in January after a five-year stint as CFO of Time Warner Inc., and new executives typically prefer to assemble their own teams.