You are viewing the archive: “John Wells”

Cannes: Bradley Cooper Commits To ‘Chef’ As Cease And Desist Goes To Jon Favreau’s Rival Chef Pic

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday May 15, 2013 @ 7:33am PDTTags: Big Deals Film, Bradley Cooper, Cannes Wrap-Up, Chef, John Wells, Jon Favreau, The Weinstein Company
Mike Fleming

Bradley CooperEXCLUSIVE: Bradley Cooper has now formally confirmed to star in the John Wells-directed Chef, making this one of the early projects stirring action from foreign buyers who can now visualize the Silver Linings Playbook star back in meltdown mode in this Shampoo-like drama. He plays a Paris chef named Adam Jones, who destroys his wunderkind status in a blaze of decadence and out of control behavior. He cleans up and returns to Paris sober, determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant that can gain three Michelin stars. This has been in the works a bit, and recently Cooper saw Wells’ upcoming TWC Oscar-bait movie August: Osage County and then TWC set Wells to direct Chef. They are now looking to round out that cast, and I’m hearing Michelle Williams and Marion Cotillard as potential female leads, and Omar Sy for co-starring role. The film’s produced by Stacey Sher, Erwin Stoff and Michael Shamberg. READ MORE »

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John Wells Deal To Direct Bradley Cooper In ‘Chef’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Thursday May 2, 2013 @ 2:48pm PDTTags: Big Deals Film, Bradley Cooper, Chef, John Wells, The Weinstein Company
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: After helming August: Osage County for Harvey Weinstein, John Wells is getting ready to take on another big film for The Weinstein Company. He’s making a deal to direct Chef, the Steven Knight-scripted drama that … Read More »

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Felicity Huffman To Star In Fox Pilot ‘Boomerang’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday February 15, 2013 @ 11:00am PSTTags: Boomerang, Felicity Huffman, Fox, John Wells
Nellie Andreeva

Felicity Huffman is taking on another role of a housewife, this one with a double life. The Desperate Housewives alumna is set to star in Fox‘s drama pilot Boomerang, from John Wells Prods and Warner … Read More »

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Fox Orders Assassins Drama Pilot From John Wells

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday January 25, 2013 @ 11:43am PSTTags: Boomerang, Fox, John Wells
Nellie Andreeva

Fox has given a pilot order to Boomerang, a drama from John Wells Prods. and Warner Bros TV. Written by Davey Holmes (Awake), the project is about a family who serve as assassins for the federal … Read More »

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Fox Buys Male Buddy Comedy Based On Israeli Format With John Wells Producing

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday July 30, 2012 @ 5:57pm PDTTags: Big Deals TV, John Wells
Nellie Andreeva

Hard Up Israel TVEXCLUSIVE: Fox has bought Hard Up, a single-camera comedy project executive produced by John Wells. Based on the Israeli series Asfur created by Hanan Savyon and Guy Amir, Hard Up is a comedy about four twentysomething, cash-strapped close friends willing to do anything for each other — especially if it means breaking the rules as they fight against the odds to keep their home in a gentrifying neighborhood. The Fox version, which has received a script commitment, will be written by Etan Frankel (Shameless). The original series, produced by Sumayoko, airs on Israeli network HOT with Shameless. Because of the two shows’ compatibility on HOT, CAA — which reps ADD, the company that has foreign distribution rights to Asfur – took the format to Wells, who co-created the U.S. version of Shameless, and the series’ writer Frankel. Wells and Frankel will executive produce Hard Up with Savyon & Amir, Mark Mylod (pilot only) and Andrew Stearn, with HOT production executive Mirit Toovi also involved in the adaptation. John Wells Prods and Warner Bros TV are producing. Savyon and Amir are repped by ADD’s Hadas Mozes. Read More »

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Smokehouse’s George Clooney And Grant Heslov Producing ‘August: Osage County’

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday June 18, 2012 @ 3:51pm PDTTags: August: Osage County, George Clooney, John Wells, The Weinstein Company
Mike Fleming

My, the cast of characters that have aligned to the feature adaptation of Tracey Letts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play August: Osage County continues to get more impressive. Back in September, 2010, Deadline broke the story about the movie and that Harvey Weinstein had assembled a package where John Wells would direct Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts as the mother and daughter in the play. Now, Weinstein has signed Smokehouse Productions partners George Clooney and Grant Heslov to become producers. Here’s the announcement:

NEW YORK – June 18, 2012 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that George Clooney, Academy Award®-winning actor (SYRIANA) and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker (GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK., THE IDES OF MARCH), and Academy Award®-nominated producer/screenwriter Grant Heslov (GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK., THE IDES OF MARCH) have signed on as producers of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, the upcoming screen adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play by Tracy Letts. Academy Award winners Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts star as mother and daughter in the film, directed by John Wells from Letts’ screen adaptation. Clooney and Heslov join Jean Doumanian Productions and Steve Traxler as producers. Claire Rudnick Polstein is the executive producer. The announcement was made by TWC Co-Chairmen Harvey and Bob Weinstein.

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NBC Picks Up John Wells-Produced Drama Pilot ‘Bad Girls’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday January 31, 2012 @ 12:20pm PSTTags: bad Girls, John Wells
Nellie Andreeva

ER, Third Watch and Southland executive producer John Wells is back at NBC with a new drama. The network has handed out a pilot pickup to Bad Girls, written by Nancy Pimental and executive produced by Wells. The project, based … Read More »

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Fox Greenlights Mike O’Malley/John Wells Comedy Pilot ‘Prodigy Bully’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday January 26, 2012 @ 2:40pm PSTTags: John Wells, Mike O'Malley, Prodigy Bully
Nellie Andreeva

Fox has given a pilot order to Prodigy Bully, a half-hour comedy written by Glee co-star Mike O’Malley and executive produced by John Wells. Based on the Prodigy Bully one-minute … Read More »

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Showtime To Develop Series Adaptation Of Movie ‘Animal Kingdom’ With John Wells Producing

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday December 16, 2011 @ 12:31pm PSTTags: Animal Kingdom, John Wells, Showtime
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: A drama series adaptation of the 2010 Australian feature Animal Kingdom has landed at Showtime, with John Wells executive producing and Jonathan Lisco writing/executive producing. The project, now … Read More »

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Fox Buys ‘Prodigy Bully’ Comedy From Mike O’Malley And John Wells

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday October 17, 2011 @ 1:44pm PDTTags: Fox, John Wells, John Wells Productions, Mike O'Malley, Warner Bros. TV
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Fox is teaming with Glee co-star Mike O’Malley for another school comedy. The network has bought Prodigy Bully, a half-hour comedy written by O’Malley and executive produced by John Wells. Based on the Prodigy Bully one-minute movies by Hank Perlman, the comedy centers on a young boy genius who uses his brains and brawn to get whatever he wants. John Wells Prods and Warner Bros TV are producing, with Wells, Paris Barclay and JWP’s Andrew Stearn executive producing and O’Malley co-executive producing. JWP and WBTV first took a stab at developing a single-camera comedy based on the Prodigy Bully shorts during the 2005-2006 season. Read More »

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ABC Buys Hourlong 1970s Mother/Daughter Comedy From Joe Keenan And John Wells

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday September 14, 2011 @ 1:06pm PDTTags: ABC, John Wells, Warner Bros. TV
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: John Wells Prods has sold a third project this development season — a period hourlong comedy from Frasier and Desperate Housewives veteran Joe Keenan. ABC has bought the comedy, which is set in the 1970s and centers on a … Read More »

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John Wells Prods. Sells 2 Book Adaptations, Including ‘Easy Rawlins’ Drama From Walter Mosley To NBC

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday September 12, 2011 @ 12:10pm PDTTags: ABC, John Wells, John Wells Productions, NBC, Warner Bros. TV
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: After recently venturing into cable with the Showtime series Shameless, HBO’s miniseries Mildred Pierce and TNT’s drama Southland, which originated on NBC, John Wells’ Warner Bros TV-based production company is shifting its attention back to broadcast TV this development season. John Wells Prods has already sold two projects, both based on books: Easy Rawlins to NBC and an untitled high-concept drama from Carol Walper to ABC. Several more pitches will be taken out shortly.

NBC’s Easy Rawlins is based on Walter Mosley’s best-selling novels about black P.I. Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, who finds himself solving crimes and dealing with the changing world around him in 1960s Los Angeles. (The books are set from the 1940s to 1960s.) Easy is a reluctant, self-taught P.I. with a conscience and a soul — and he easily slips between white Los Angeles and the black underground. Mosley will write the series adaptation with Southland co-executive producer Cheo Coker. A drama adaptation of Mosley’s Easy Rollins book series, which spanned 11 novels, was developed by USA Network seven years ago. Additionally, Mosley served as an executive producer on the 2003 CBS drama pilot The Law & Mr. Lee, about an Oakland-based private eye played by Danny Glover. Easy Rawlins is the second project based on well-known mystery series books with a minority protagonist to be set up at the broadcast networks this season. CBS recently bought a drama based on Leslie Glass’ Alice Woo novels from CBS TV Studios and Apostle. Read More »

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HBO Reunites ‘Mildred Pierce’ Team For Drama Project That May Star Julianne Moore

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday August 15, 2011 @ 11:00am PDTTags: Christine Vachon, HBO, John Wells, Julianne Moore, Todd Haynes
Nellie Andreeva

Mildred Pierce executive producer and director Todd Haynes has re-teamed with the HBO miniseries’ executive producers John Wells and Christine Vachon for another period HBO project … Read More »

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WGA Membership Ratifies New Contract By Overwhelming Margin; AMPTP Declares “Labor Peace”

By NIKKI FINKE, Editor in Chief | Wednesday April 27, 2011 @ 2:45pm PDTTags: AMPTP, Contract, John Wells, WGAE, WGAW, Writers Guild Of America

UPDATE: Today’s statement by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers:

“Ratification of the new agreement between the AMPTP and the Writers Guild of America is a significant achievement for both parties and an important milestone for the industry. Taking into account the agreement reached with the WGA, the industry has now successfully concluded an agreement with each of the major Guilds over the past six months. Taken together, these agreements will give the industry an opportunity for a sustained period of labor peace.”

April 27th, 2011

To Our Fellow Members:

We are pleased to announce that our joint memberships have ratified our new contract with the AMPTP by an overwhelming majority. With a total of 1,952 valid ballots cast, 90.7 percent voted in favor of ratification. The term of the new deal is from May 2, 2011 through May 1, 2014. We move forward knowing that the significant gains we made in employer contributions to our pension plan better enable it to meet its obligations for the foreseeable future and that we’ve secured increases for reuse payments in Pay TV and increases in minimums.

Read More »

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TNT Eyes John Wells’ Medical Drama ‘Gimme Shelter’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday March 28, 2011 @ 2:09pm PDTTags: CBS, Gimme Shelter, Hannah Shakespeare, John Wells, TNT
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: TNT already successfully rescued one John Wells-produced drama project passed over by a broadcast network: former NBC cop drama Southland, just renewed by TNT for a fourth season.

Now the cable network is looking to try and do … Read More »

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Kevin Costner Up, Up And Away For ‘Superman’ Role?

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday February 21, 2011 @ 11:21am PSTTags: Charles Roven, Chris Nolan, David S. Goyer, Deborah Snyder, Emma Thomas, Henry Cavill, John Wells, Kevin Costner, Movie Deals, Movies, Superman, Superman Franchise Reboot, Thomas Tull, Zack Snyder
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: I’m told that there is heightened interest in Kevin Costner for a key role in the Superman reboot that is being directed by Zack Snyder for Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures. Henry Cavill was recently set in the Man … Read More »

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HAMMOND Goes Inside The WGA Awards

By PETE HAMMOND | Sunday February 6, 2011 @ 12:10pm PSTTags: Aaron Sorkin The Social Network, Christopher Nolan, Christopher Nolan Inception WGA Awards, Inception, John Wells, Movies, WGA, WGA Awards, WGA Basic Agreement, WGAE, WGAW
Pete Hammond

In accepting the Best Original Screenplay award for Inception at Saturday night’s Writers Guild Awards, winner Christopher Nolan addressed the elephant in the room by noting that not all the best screenplays were eligible for the prize. The Writers Guild, as they do every year, … Read More »

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TCA: William H. Macy Happy to Play An Alcoholic On ‘Shameless’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday January 14, 2011 @ 5:13pm PSTTags: John Wells, John Wells Shameless, Shameless, Showtime, TCA, TCA Showtime, Television Critics Association, TV, William H. Macy Shameless

From Ray Richmond, who is contributing to Deadline Hollywood’s TCA coverage:

It was a shaggy-haired William H. Macy who showed up this afternoon in Pasadena for a TCA session hyping his new John Wells-produced Showtime series Shameless that premiered last Sunday. He portrays … Read More »

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Showtime To Preview New Drama ‘Shameless’ After ‘Dexter’ Finale

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday December 8, 2010 @ 10:32am PSTTags: Cable TV, Dexter Finale, Emmy Rossum, John Wells, Paul Abbott, Shameless, Showtime, Trailers, TV, Video, William H. Macy
Nellie Andreeva

Showtime will use the Dexter finale to get big sampling for new drama Shameless, which is slated to premiere January 9. The pay cable network will preview the first 20 minutes of Shameless following the Dexter season finale this Sunday. Based on the UK series, Shameless, from John Wells and … Read More »

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