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EXCLUSIVE: Getting feature directors to helm pilots was a hot trend this development season. CBS is already looking to extend it to next season, signing a deal with Harry Potter director Chris Columbus. Under the 3-for-1 pact, Columbus will develop three projects for CBS though CBS TV Studios and his 1492 Pictures. The goal is for one of them to go to pilot, which Columbus will direct and executive produce. This will mark the TV directing debut for the WME-repped Columbus, who helmed the first two Harry Potter and Home Alone movies as well as Mrs. Doubtfire and, most recently, the adventure Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. He also produced the upcoming DreamWorks movie The Help.
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Terrible idea. Pilots are not mini movies. The TV culture is totally different. TV is a writer’s medium. Film is a director’s medium. It’s a nightmare waiting to happen.
Peter Berg and Barry Sonnenfeld directed two of the best pilots I’ve ever seen. And they played like mini-movies.
Agreed. Josey is nuts. Also, Chris Columbus is a damn fine writer.
What did Columbus do wrong in life to get downgraded to TV director? Wanh Wanhhhhh…
Columbus is not only a good director, but also a pretty decent writer. I mean, he did The Goonies, Gremlins, and Young Sherlock Holmes. It’ll be interesting what he brings to the table for CBS.
More importantly Chris graduated NYU Tisch School of the Arts CLASS OF 80!!!!!!!!!
Way to go Chris, regards to MD.
TV is definitely a writer’s medium and seems like a good fit for a director with Columbus’ writing chops. Pilots are a whole different animal though than series TV. Directors are guns-for-hire on a tv series, although some have really made their mark.
so when is spielberg going to go all in and start directing pilots? so far he’s just lending his name on some tv projects like Smash, Terra Nova, and The River.