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David Yates To Direct FX Drama Pilot ‘Tyrant’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Wednesday June 12, 2013 @ 3:30pm PDTTags: Big Deals TV, David Yates, FX, Tyrant
Nellie Andreeva

David Yates, director of the last four Harry Potter movies, has signed on to helm high-profile FX drama pilot Tyrant, from Homeland executive producers Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff and Six Feet Under alum Craig Wright. Yates replaces Ang Lee, who originally committed to Tyrant but pulled out last month for personal reasons. Created by Raff and developed by Gordon and Wright, Tyrant tells the story of an unassuming American family drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation. Gordon, Raff and Wright executive produce in association with Keshet Broadcasting. The Fox 21-produced project, which will film the pilot in Morocco, has a big commitment at FX and is expected to go to series. On the TV side, Brit Yates directed the acclaimed British miniseries State Of Play, which was made into a Hollywood movie starring Russell Crowe, and the HBO film The Girl In The Cafe, which earned him an Emmy nomination. He is with CAA, Jenne Casarotto in the UK, and attorney Alan Hergott.

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Ang Lee Departs FX Pilot ‘Tyrant’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday May 20, 2013 @ 4:15pm PDTTags: Ang Lee, FX, Tyrant
Nellie Andreeva

UPDATE 4:15 PM: Here is Ang Lee’s statement about his departure from Tyrant.

It is with disappointment that I must confirm I have withdrawn from my commitment to direct the upcoming FX pilot Tyrant.

It is one of

… Read More »

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FX Renews ‘Justified’ For Fifth Season, Touts Pilots ‘Tyrant’ & ‘The Strain’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday March 28, 2013 @ 6:19am PDTTags: FX, Justified, The Strain, Tyrant
Nellie Andreeva

FX president John Landgraf made the announcement at FX’s upfront presentation in New York this morning. Season 5 of the award-winning drama Justified will debut in January 2014. Additionally, Landgraf showcased high-profile drama pilots Tyrant, … Read More »

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Ang Lee To Direct FX Pilot ‘Tyrant’ From Howard Gordon, Gideon Raff & Craig Wright

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday March 14, 2013 @ 11:30am PDTTags: Ang Lee, Big Deals TV, FX, Tyrant
Nellie Andreeva

On the heels of winning his second directing Oscar for Life Of Pi, Ang Lee will make his television directorial debut with FX‘s high-profile drama pilot Tyrant, from Homeland executive producers Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff and Six Feet Under alum Craig Wright. This represents a major coup for FX and Tyrant producers Fox 21 and FX Prods as Lee had been approached numerous times for pilots, but this is the first one he has committed to. In addition to directing, Lee is executive producing Tyrant, his first project following Life Of Pi. It tells the story of an unassuming American family drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation. The series was created by Raff and developed by Gordon and Wright. Raff wrote the pilot, which comes from Gordon’s 20th TV-based company Teakwood Lane. “Ang Lee has demonstrated time and again an ability to present characters with such depth and specificity that they reveal the universal human condition,” said FX president John Landgraf. “No one could be a more perfect film maker to bring Howard Gordon, Gideon Raff, and Craig Wright’s Tyrant to indelible life.”

Gordon, Raff and Wright also executive produce in association with Keshet Broadcasting. If Tyrant goes to series, Wright will serve as showrunner. With a huge commitment and A-list creative auspices, Tyrant already was fully expected to go to series, something Landgraf alluded to in January. (Backup scripts had already been commissioned.) Lee’s arrival likely sealed the deal. “The fact that the brilliant Ang Lee has signed on to direct his first project for television speaks to the extraordinary nature of Tyrant,” said Fox 21 president Bert Salke. Production of Tyrant is tentatively slated to begin this summer. Read More »

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FX Orders Drama Pilot From ‘Homeland’s Howard Gordon & Gideon Raff, Craig Wright

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday December 10, 2012 @ 9:30am PSTTags: Big Deals TV, Craig Wright, FX, Howard Gordon, Tyrant
Nellie Andreeva

FX has given a pilot order to Tyrant, a drama from Homeland executive producers Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff, Six Feet Under alum Craig Wright and 20th Century Fox TV’s Fox 21. Tyrant, casually referred to as “reverse Homeland“, was created by Raff, creator of the Israeli drama Prisoners Of War on which Showtime’s Homeland was based. Tyrant, developed by Gordon and Wright, tells the story of an unassuming American family drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle Eastern nation. Raff wrote the pilot script, which hails from Teakwood Lane, Gordon’s 20th TV-based production company. “The brilliant and wholly original concept just blew us all away,” FX’s EVP Nick Grad said. “It’s pretty amazing when you read a script and can instantly imagine it becoming one of the best shows on television.”

Gordon, Raff and Wright are executive producing in association with Keshet Broadcasting, the Israeli company behind Prisoners Of War, which also co-produces Homeland. Wright is set to serve as showrunner if Tyrant goes to series. For Wright, the project stems from the overall deal he inked with Fox 21 in August. Production on the pilot is tentatively slated to begin in spring 2013. Read More »

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