PASADENA, CALIF. — Epix heads into its January 15 rebranding launch to MGM Plus with a lineup of new and returning series — including freshman shows Rogue Heroes and Billy the Kid — that it hopes will attract audiences to the premium channel.
“The opportunity to build a platform on the MGM name is a gift,” MGM Plus president Michael Wright said Tuesday during the network’s Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour session. “MGM Plus embraces and extends that brand.”
The network, which last year was acquired by Amazon when it bought MGM for $8.45 billion, will officially relaunch with the third-season premiere of the Forest Whitaker starrer Godfather of Harlem, executives said. MGM Plus also announced an April 23 premiere date for the second season of its sci-fi horror series FROM.
The network also announced second-season renewals for drama Rogue Heroes and adventure series Billy The Kid.
New drama series include A Spy Among Friends, starring Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce, which will debut March 12; as well as true-crime docuseries Murf the Surf, which debuts February 5, the network said.
MGM Plus’s development slate includes scripted series based on the 1997 movie Hoodlum, as well as the apocalyptic-themed series Ark. Below is MGM Plus’ announced development slate with network descriptions:
The Emperor of Ocean Park (scripted) — From John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television, The Emperor of Ocean Park is a thrilling, suspenseful take on Stephen L. Carter’s best-selling novel. Set in the worlds of D.C. politics, Ivy League academia, and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, the series centers on Talcott Garland’s quiet life as an Ivy League law professor whose world is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah, a former journalist and constant conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a former failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play. Sherman Payne is the writer, with Damian Marcano attached to direct.
Hoodlum (scripted) — Based on the 1997 MGM film written by Chris Brancato, this drama series set in the 1930s follows the true story of Harlem numbers queen Stephanie St. Clair’s rise to prominence and mentorship of Ellsworth “Bumpy” Johnson. MGM Plus Studios is developing, and Brancato and Monica Macer are co-creating and executive producing.
Earth Abides (scripted) — When a plague of unprecedented virulence sweeps the globe, the human race is all but wiped out. In the aftermath, as the great machine of civilization slowly and inexorably breaks down, only a few shattered survivors remain to struggle against the slide into barbarism … or extinction. Based on the novel by George R. Stewart, which is published by Harper Voyager, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, MGM Plus Studios is developing with Michael Phillips, Juliana Maio, and Kearie Peak attached as executive producers.
American Classic (scripted) — American Classic is a half-hour comedy about a man desperately trying to save himself, his family and his hometown in the only way he knows how — by putting on a show. Broadway star and notorious narcissist Richard Bean (Kevin Kline) suffers a spectacular public meltdown and decides to return home to the family-run theater where he first became aware of his own brilliance. When he arrives, he’s shocked to find that his brother (Jon Tenney), and his brother’s wife (who also happens to be his former lover), have turned his temple of art into a dinner theater — with the emphasis on dinner. To make matters worse, his hometown of Millersberg is teetering on the edge of economic disaster. Inspired, Richard vows to put on a show so great that it will save the theatre, the town and, most importantly, his career. But with the family and town in chaos, the constant threat of financial ruin, and Richard’s enormous ego, will they even make it to opening night? Michael Hoffman, Bob Martin, Leslie Urdang, Kline, Anthony Bregman and Miriam Mintz are attached as executive producers. American Classic is being developed as a co-production between MGM Plus Studios and Anonymous Content’s AC Studios.
Ark (scripted) — It’s 2030, the oceans have risen rapidly, and soon, the entire planet will be submerged. But the discovery of another life-sustaining planet light years away gives hope to those who remain alive. Only a few will be able to make the generations-long journey, and those who don’t make the cut face a watery death. Based on the books by Stephen Baxter, the series is in development as a co-production between MGM Plus Studios and Anonymous Content’s AC Studios.
Hollywood Black — Based on the book by historian Donald Bogle, this four-part docuseries tells the epic story of the actors, writers, directors and producers who fought for their place on the page, behind the camera, on the screen, and in the credits. It is a definitive chronicle of a century of the Black experience in Hollywood and a powerful reexamination of a quintessentially American story — in brilliant color. Culture Machine’s Justin Simien (Dear White People, Bad Hair) and Kyle Laursen, Significant Productions’s Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi (Godfather of Harlem), and RadicalMedia’s Dave Sirulnick, Stacey Reiss and Jon Kamen (Summer of Soul) will all serve as executive producers. Simien and Jeffrey Schwartz (Tab Hunter Confidential, I Am Divine) are set to direct.
Hot Stuff (docuseries) — Mention the word “disco” to most people and it brings back memories of a plastic music fad, the movie Saturday Night Fever, and the infamous NYC club Studio 54. Yet there is so much more to the story. Hot Stuff is a four-part docuseries that dives into what was nothing less than a liberation movement. From its birth in underground gay clubs, where DJs broke new music on their twin turntables, disco, with its infectious 4/4 beat and powerful basslines, exploded on the scene. From rampant hedonism to rule-breaking fashion, to a bevy of divas with luscious vocals, disco marked a transformation in the look and sound of a society ready for change. Was disco the forgettable fast food of pop music, or was it a cultural revolution that still resonates today? Oscar-nominated documentary studio XTR (They Call Me Magic) will be producing the series, while David Friendly and Lesley Chilcott are attached as executive producers.
The Devil Within (docuseries) — This four-part, true-crime docuseries is based on the hit Cavalry Audio podcast The Devil Within, which follows the mysterious murder of Betty Ann Sullivan during the height of the Satanic Panic. Filled with twists, turns and iconic legends, the series fuses true crime with horror. Simply put, what started as a dark, small-town murder investigation quickly spiraled into a paranormal mystery. Executive produced by Eli Roth with executive producers Dirk Hoogstra and Nicole Sorrenti for Half Yard Productions, a North Road Co.
Wonderland Murders & the Secret History of Hollywood (docuseries) — When best-selling crime novelist Michael Connelly discovered that Scott Thorson, best known as Liberace’s lover and author of the tell-all Behind the Candelabra, held the keys to the infamous Wonderland Murders, he only had one problem: Thorson’s stories sounded too unbelievable to be true. As the stories got weirder and wilder, and Thorson’s own “nine lives” stretched beyond the Wonderland Murders themselves, Connelly struggled with how far to follow this unreliable narrator. Connelly (Lincoln Lawyer, Bosch, Bosch: Legacy) executive produces the four-episode documentary series alongside Jen Casey and Nick Gilhool for Miziker Content; Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman for The Intellectual Property Corp. (IPC), a part of Sony Pictures Television; and Rick Jackson. Alison Ellwood (The Go-Go’s, How to Change Your Mind, Laurel Canyon) will direct as well as executive produce. ■
