Famed New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast is taking her sardonic wit to a television screen near you. Her best-selling graphic memoir “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” is being adapted into a half-hour television series by Shivani Rawat’s ShivHans Pictures and Ken Kwapis’ In Cahoots, Variety has learned.
Emmy-winning writer Sheila R. Lawrence will serve as the showrunner. The pilot, which Lawrence wrote, will be directed by veteran helmer Kwapis.
Kwapis will executive produce with Alexandra Beattie, his partner at the shingle In Cahoots; Rawat; and Monica Levinson.
Chast’s critically acclaimed memoir — a finalist for the National Book Award for non-fiction — traces her experiences caring for her parents in their final years.
“Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” is the first TV series for ShivHans Pictures, which has backed such acclaimed recent films as “Trumbo,” “Captain Fantastic,” “The Polka King,” and “Beirut.” And the...
Emmy-winning writer Sheila R. Lawrence will serve as the showrunner. The pilot, which Lawrence wrote, will be directed by veteran helmer Kwapis.
Kwapis will executive produce with Alexandra Beattie, his partner at the shingle In Cahoots; Rawat; and Monica Levinson.
Chast’s critically acclaimed memoir — a finalist for the National Book Award for non-fiction — traces her experiences caring for her parents in their final years.
“Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” is the first TV series for ShivHans Pictures, which has backed such acclaimed recent films as “Trumbo,” “Captain Fantastic,” “The Polka King,” and “Beirut.” And the...
- 1/22/2019
- by Ramin Setoodeh
- Variety Film + TV
Adam Richman and Jenette Kahn’s Double Nickel Entertainment and Alexandra Beattie and Ken Kwapis’ In Cahoots are teaming to produce an adaptation of Donald McRae’s nonfiction book Every Second Counts: The Race To Transplant the First Human Heart, as a limited series. BAFTA-winning scribe Nick Fisher (The Giblet Boys) is attached to pen the adaptation and Kwapis will direct. Set in 1967, Every Second Counts focuses on charismatic South African heart surgeon Christiaan…...
- 1/17/2018
- Deadline TV
Bradley Whitford has joined the cast of Showtime’s Happyish pilot, EW has learned. The comedy follows Thom Payne’s (Steve Coogan) pursuit of happiness in the midst of dealing with a world he doesn’t understand, a pursuit that might just be the thing causing his unhappiness in the first place. The Emmy-winning West Wing alum will play Jonathan Cooke, Payne’s boss and an advertising industry legend whose success is due in equal parts to his creative genius and moral cravenness. Rhys Ifans previously played the role in the original pilot. Whitford’s casting comes on the heels...
- 11/14/2014
- by Natalie Abrams
- EW - Inside TV
Showtime has announced that Kathryn Hahn will star alongside Steve Coogan in the comedy pilot for Happyish. Hahn will play Lee Payne, the wife to Coogan's Thom Payne and mother to their six-year old son, Julius. Hahn originally shot the 2013 pilot for Happyish with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Happyish is a comedy that follows Payne's pursuit of happiness in the midst of dealing with a world he doesn’t quite understand, and playing with the idea of rebranding himself to fit in with a younger demographic or if just settling for a “happyish” life is the best he can hope for.
- 11/13/2014
- by Teresa Jue
- EW - Inside TV
Nearly a year on from the sudden death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, Showtime has set British actor-writer-comedian Steve Coogan to replace him in the network's dark comedy "Happyish".
Hoffman starred in the original pilot for the series which scored a pickup in January, right when Hoffman passed away. Showtime re-evaluated the project in the wake of that tragedy, and have decided to proceed.
A handful of actors were contacted as replacements with Coogan ultimately taking up the mantle. The rest of the cast from the pilot has been released, though co-star Kathryn Hahn has reportedly had discussions to return.
Coogan will play Thom Payne, a 44-year-old man whose world is thrown into disarray when his 25-year-old boss arrives and throws around words like 'digital,' 'social' and 'viral'. Is he in need of 'rebranding' himself?
The project is described as a comedic, soul-searching examination of our pursuit of happiness.
Hoffman starred in the original pilot for the series which scored a pickup in January, right when Hoffman passed away. Showtime re-evaluated the project in the wake of that tragedy, and have decided to proceed.
A handful of actors were contacted as replacements with Coogan ultimately taking up the mantle. The rest of the cast from the pilot has been released, though co-star Kathryn Hahn has reportedly had discussions to return.
Coogan will play Thom Payne, a 44-year-old man whose world is thrown into disarray when his 25-year-old boss arrives and throws around words like 'digital,' 'social' and 'viral'. Is he in need of 'rebranding' himself?
The project is described as a comedic, soul-searching examination of our pursuit of happiness.
- 10/23/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s tragic death rocked the film world in February this year, but it also had repercussions for the TV universe. Hoffman had been part of a pilot for a new show on Us cable channel Showtime called Happyish, which has just been ordered to series when he passed. Now the dark comedy is headed back to the pilot stage, with Steve Coogan taking over the lead.He’ll be Thom Payne, a 44-year-old British expat working in the States whose ordinary life is thrown into disarray when his boss is replaced by a 25-year-old wunderkind who spouts terms like “viral” and “social marketing”. The new arrival makes him question whether he’s satisfied with his situation.According to Deadline, producers Shalom Auslander, Ken Kwapis and Alexandra Beattie had been developing the project for years before finally getting the green light to make the show. Given the long...
- 10/22/2014
- EmpireOnline
FX is creating a limited series based on John Scalzi’s 2012 comedic sci-fi novel, Redshirts.
The book, which won a Hugo Award, takes place in the 25th century. It follows five new recruits on the Starship Intrepid where crewmembers start dying at an alarming rate. They eventually figure out that their reality is mirroring a science fiction television show from the early 21st century.
According to Deadline, FX has teamed with veteran feature producer Jon Shestack (Dan In Real Life) and producer-director Ken Kwapis (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and his partner Alexandra Beattie to develop the series. A writer hasn't been hired yet but Kwapis is set to direct the first episode.
What do you think? Does this sound like a hit? Would you watch this series?...
The book, which won a Hugo Award, takes place in the 25th century. It follows five new recruits on the Starship Intrepid where crewmembers start dying at an alarming rate. They eventually figure out that their reality is mirroring a science fiction television show from the early 21st century.
According to Deadline, FX has teamed with veteran feature producer Jon Shestack (Dan In Real Life) and producer-director Ken Kwapis (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants) and his partner Alexandra Beattie to develop the series. A writer hasn't been hired yet but Kwapis is set to direct the first episode.
What do you think? Does this sound like a hit? Would you watch this series?...
- 2/18/2014
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
(Cbr) FX will expand its lineup with an adaptation of "Redshirts", the comedic sci-fi novel by author John Scalzi. The book, which tackles tropes from the original Star Trek series, follows the adventures of "Intrepid" ensign Andrew Dahl, who quickly realizes he and his ilk are basically cannon fodder. The novel gets meta from there, as Dahl and company discover they’re actually characters on a TV show. The novel won a Hugo Award in 2013. Deadline reports the series will be produced by Jon Shestack ("Waiting…", "Disturbing Behavior"), Ken Kwapis ("The Office", "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants") and Alexandra Beattie ("Outsourced")....
- 2/12/2014
- by TJ Dietsch, Comic Book Resources
- Hitfix
Trekkies around the world may have to wait a while longer before seeing Star Trek return to the small screen, but perhaps an adaptation of John Scalzi’s Hugo Award Winning novel Redshirts is the next best thing. Deadline is reporting that FX is developing a limited series based on Scalzi’s work, from producers John Shestack (Air Force One, Dan in Real Life), Ken Kwapis (The Office) and Alexandra Beattie (Outsourced).
Anyone familiar with the original Trek series knows of the often tragic fates of the more, shall we say, disposable crew members of the USS Enterprise, who accompanied Captain Kirk and his crew as they visited strange new worlds. It became common knowledge that any crewman sent on an away mission wearing a red Starfleet uniform would surely be killed, and Scalzi’s novel examines that aspect of the show quite cleverly.
Here’s the description of the...
Anyone familiar with the original Trek series knows of the often tragic fates of the more, shall we say, disposable crew members of the USS Enterprise, who accompanied Captain Kirk and his crew as they visited strange new worlds. It became common knowledge that any crewman sent on an away mission wearing a red Starfleet uniform would surely be killed, and Scalzi’s novel examines that aspect of the show quite cleverly.
Here’s the description of the...
- 2/9/2014
- by James Garcia
- We Got This Covered
FX has teamed up with producers Jon Shestack ("Dan in Real Life"), Ken Kwapis ("The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants") and Alexandra Beattie to bring "Redshirts," a comedic sci-fi novel published in 2012, to the small screen, Deadline reports. The futuristic "Redshirts," written by John Scalzi, follows a group of crew members aboard the Starship Intrepid who suddenly and mysteriously start dying. At first unsure of the cause of these deaths, the crew realize that their situation mirrors that of a certain 21st century science fiction television show. Essentially, their lives -- and deaths -- are following a TV plot. Kwapis is set to direct the premiere episode with Shestack and Beattie executive producing. Prior to "Redshirts," Kwapis and Beattie were working on the Showtime comedy "Happyish," put on hold following the death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman who was cast as the lead. FX has been investing in limited series lately -- its upcoming "Fargo,...
- 2/7/2014
- by Eric Eidelstein
- Indiewire
Exclusive: John Scalzi’s 2012 comedic sci-fi novel Redshirts is headed to the small screen. FX has teamed with veteran feature producer Jon Shestack (Dan In Real Life) and producer-director Ken Kwapis (Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants) and his partner Alexandra Beattie to develop a limited series based on the book, which won the 2013 Hugo Award. Search is underway for writers to pen the adaption, with Kwapis set to direct the opening episode. He, Shestack and Beattie executive produce. Set in the 25th century, Redshirts follows the adventures of five new recruits on the Starship Intrepid who come to realize that the ship’s crewmembers are dying at an alarming rate. Their investigation leads to the mind-bending discovery that a science fiction television show, produced in the early 21st century, has somehow “intruded” upon their reality and “warped” it. In other words, the lives of the crew are following the course...
- 2/7/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
The Amazing Spider-Man star Rhys Ifans is the latest name to join the cast of the Showtime comedy pilot "Trending Down." He'll star opposite Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman ( Capote ) and acclaimed actress Kathryn Hahn ( Revolutionary Road ) in the lead roles of Thom and Lee Payne. Ifans will star as Thom Payne's boss, Jonathan Clow in the blistering attack on our youth-obsessed culture. "Trending Down" centers on Payne, a man facing his own obsolescence after his advertising agency is taken over. Written and executive produced by author and This American Life contributor Shalom Auslander, "Trending Down" was developed by Ken Kwapis, who will executive produce, and Alexandra Beattie, who will co-executive produce, under their In Cahoots banner....
- 8/14/2013
- Comingsoon.net
Premium cable channel Showtime just landed two big-name stars for its new comedy pilot Trending Down.
Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and versatile comedic actress Kathryn Hahn (NBC’s Parks and Recreation, the upcoming Afternoon Delight) will star in the show, which finds ad man Thom Payne (Hoffman) fighting to stay relevant after a company takeover pushes his agency into the age of social networking. Hahn will co-star as Payne’s wife.
Trending Down has been described by its creators as ”a blistering attack on our youth-obsessed culture and a darkly comic examination of what it means to matter” in the age of the internet.
The project was created and written by Shalom Auslander (This American Life). Auslander will also serve as one of the show’s executive producers, alongside Hoffman, Ken Kwapis (NBC’s The Office), Capote associate producer Emily Ziff and Alexandra Beattie (NBC’s Outsourced...
Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and versatile comedic actress Kathryn Hahn (NBC’s Parks and Recreation, the upcoming Afternoon Delight) will star in the show, which finds ad man Thom Payne (Hoffman) fighting to stay relevant after a company takeover pushes his agency into the age of social networking. Hahn will co-star as Payne’s wife.
Trending Down has been described by its creators as ”a blistering attack on our youth-obsessed culture and a darkly comic examination of what it means to matter” in the age of the internet.
The project was created and written by Shalom Auslander (This American Life). Auslander will also serve as one of the show’s executive producers, alongside Hoffman, Ken Kwapis (NBC’s The Office), Capote associate producer Emily Ziff and Alexandra Beattie (NBC’s Outsourced...
- 7/28/2013
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
Well, if you're making a comedy you want us to see sight unseen, this is a pretty good way to do it. Line up an acclaimed actor, usually known for his dramatic work, but who has hidden comic chops and pair him with an underrated but consistently strong and hilarious actress and you'll have our curiosity. When those people are Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathryn Hahn, well sir, you have our attention. The duo are coming aboard Showtime's "Trending Down," which is gearing up to shoot a pilot. The project comes from author and "This American Life" contributor Shalom Auslander, Ken Kwapis (veteran of "The Office") and Alexandra Beattie and it will find Hoffman playing a man working at an ad agency, whose services may no longer be required when the company gets taken over. Hahn will play his wife and the show will be "a blistering attack on our...
- 7/26/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Showtime is expected to announce during their TCA session on Tuesday that Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman will star in and executive produce Trending Down, a comedy pilot, which is getting a green light after a long development process. Kathryn Hahn is expected to co-star in the pilot, which will be directed by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and The Angry Inch). Developed by Ken Kwapis and created by This American Life contributor Shalom Auslander, Trending Down is a blistering attack on our youth-obsessed culture, and a darkly comic examination of what it means to matter. Or matter not. It centers on Thom Payne (Hoffman), a man facing his own obsolescence after his advertising agency is taken over. Hahn will play Thom’s wife. Hoffman, Kwapis, Auslander and Hoffman’s producing partner Emily Ziff will executive produce. Alexandra Beattie will co-executive produce. Trending Down marks the third pilot pickup at Showtime this year.
- 7/26/2013
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Philip Seymour Hoffman will star in and executive produce Showtime’s failed-ad-guy comedy pilot, Trending Down.
TVLine has learned the Oscar-winner will play Thom Payne, who is adrift when his ad agency is taken over. The project is described as a “blistering attack on our youth-obsessed culture and a darkly comic examination of what it means to matter. Or matter not.”
Related | Showtime Renews Ray Donovan for Season 2
The project was created and written by Shalom Auslander (This American Life), who will executive-produce with Hoffman, Emily Ziff (Capote), Ken Kwapis (The Office) and Alexandra Beattie (Outsourced).
Hoffman took home an...
TVLine has learned the Oscar-winner will play Thom Payne, who is adrift when his ad agency is taken over. The project is described as a “blistering attack on our youth-obsessed culture and a darkly comic examination of what it means to matter. Or matter not.”
Related | Showtime Renews Ray Donovan for Season 2
The project was created and written by Shalom Auslander (This American Life), who will executive-produce with Hoffman, Emily Ziff (Capote), Ken Kwapis (The Office) and Alexandra Beattie (Outsourced).
Hoffman took home an...
- 7/26/2013
- by Kimberly Roots
- TVLine.com
Filmmaker Ken Kwapis ("Big Miracle") is teaming with writer/producer Joy Gregory on a feature adaptation of the off-Broadway musical "The Shaggs: Philosophy Of The World".
The musical is based on the real-life story of a trio of teenage sisters from rural New Hampshire. Their late-’60s band polarized critics with their lone studio album ridiculed.
Years later though, said album was hailed as groundbreaking by influential artists like Kurt Cobain and Frank Zappa.
Kwapis, Gregory and Alexandra Beattie will produce. Kwapis will direct from Gregory's script, and the trio has secured the band’s life rights from the two surviving members who will serve as consultants.
Source: Deadline...
The musical is based on the real-life story of a trio of teenage sisters from rural New Hampshire. Their late-’60s band polarized critics with their lone studio album ridiculed.
Years later though, said album was hailed as groundbreaking by influential artists like Kurt Cobain and Frank Zappa.
Kwapis, Gregory and Alexandra Beattie will produce. Kwapis will direct from Gregory's script, and the trio has secured the band’s life rights from the two surviving members who will serve as consultants.
Source: Deadline...
- 1/30/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Director Ken Kwapis (He’s Just Not That Into You) and writer Joy Gregory (Switched at Birth) have announced they are developing a movie version of the latter’s stage musical, The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World, which details the strange story of the titular, all-girl ’60s rock band.
The New Hampshire band were a trio of sisters whose musical efforts were masterminded by their father and who recorded just one studio album, 1969′s crude and bizarre Philosophy of the World. Over time the Shaggs would come to be admired and acclaimed by such notable fans as Frank Zappa and Kurt Cobain.
The New Hampshire band were a trio of sisters whose musical efforts were masterminded by their father and who recorded just one studio album, 1969′s crude and bizarre Philosophy of the World. Over time the Shaggs would come to be admired and acclaimed by such notable fans as Frank Zappa and Kurt Cobain.
- 1/30/2013
- by Clark Collis
- EW - Inside Movies
Exclusive: Ken Kwapis and his In Cahoots shingle has teamed with writer/producer Joy Gregory to develop a feature adaptation of the off-Broadway musical The Shaggs: Philosophy Of The World. The musical is based on the real-life story of a trio of sisters whose late-’60s band polarized critics. They were dubbed visionary by some, while others called them the worst band in rock history, whose sound was reminiscent of cats being strangled. Gregory wrote the book for The Shaggs, with music and lyrics by Gunnar Madsen and the band itself. The musical recently played off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons, where it was nominated this past year for a Lucille Lortel Award and a Drama Desk Award. Kwapis, Gregory and In Cahoots partner Alexandra Beattie will produce. Kwapis, who last helmed the whale tale Big Miracle, will direct and Gregory is writing the script. Kwapis, Beattie and Gregory secured the band...
- 1/29/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Another adaptation is on its way, this time in the fashion of Diana Wagman's The Care and Feeding of Exotic Pets. According to Deadline, In Cahoots, the production company run by Ken Kwapis and Alexandra Beattie, has acquired film rights.
The novel is a dark psychological tale that Ig Publishing releases November 13. Kwapis has begun adapting the book and will direct the film.
The book follows Winnie Parker, mother to an angst-ridden teenage daughter and ex-wife of a famous game show host, who is kidnapped. What follows is a psychological game of cat and mouse set in the kidnapper’s tropically heated house—kept that way because the kidnapper is a reptile lover who has set up his home as a haven for Cookie, a menacing seven-foot long Iguana. While desperately seeking to escape, Winnie uncovers the mystery surrounding her captivity.
More as it comes.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
The novel is a dark psychological tale that Ig Publishing releases November 13. Kwapis has begun adapting the book and will direct the film.
The book follows Winnie Parker, mother to an angst-ridden teenage daughter and ex-wife of a famous game show host, who is kidnapped. What follows is a psychological game of cat and mouse set in the kidnapper’s tropically heated house—kept that way because the kidnapper is a reptile lover who has set up his home as a haven for Cookie, a menacing seven-foot long Iguana. While desperately seeking to escape, Winnie uncovers the mystery surrounding her captivity.
More as it comes.
Visit The Evilshop @ Amazon!
- 10/1/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
In Cahoots has acquired the film rights to Diana Wagman's upcoming dark psychological novel "The Care And Feeding Of Exotic Pets" says Deadline.
The story follows the mother of an angst-ridden teenage daughter and ex-wife of a famous game show host. She is kidnapped and held in a tropically heated house along with the kidnapper's pet seven-foot long Iguana.
A psychological game of cat and mouse soon ensues as she desperately seeks escape. Ken Kwapis ("Big Miracle") has begun adapting the book and will direct the film while Alexandra Beattie will produce.
The story follows the mother of an angst-ridden teenage daughter and ex-wife of a famous game show host. She is kidnapped and held in a tropically heated house along with the kidnapper's pet seven-foot long Iguana.
A psychological game of cat and mouse soon ensues as she desperately seeks escape. Ken Kwapis ("Big Miracle") has begun adapting the book and will direct the film while Alexandra Beattie will produce.
- 10/1/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Exclusive: In Cahoots, the production company run by Ken Kwapis and Alexandra Beattie, has acquired film rights to The Care And Feeding Of Exotic Pets, the Diana Wagman dark psychological novel that Ig Publishing releases November 13. Kwapis has begun adapting the book and will direct the film. The book follows Winnie Parker, mother to an angst-ridden teenage daughter and ex-wife of a famous game show host, who is kidnapped. What follows is a psychological game of cat and mouse set in the kidnapper’s tropically heated house—kept that way because the kidnapper is a reptile lover who has set up his home as a haven for Cookie, a menacing seven-foot long Iguana. While desperately seeking to escape, Winnie uncovers the mystery surrounding her captivity. Wagman’s previous novels include Bump, Spontaneous and Skin Deep. Kwapis most recently directed Big Miracle for Working Title and Universal, and this novel caps...
- 10/1/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Former Office producer/director Ken Kwapis has sold two family-themed half-hour comedy projects to NBC, TVLine has confirmed.
The first, tentatively titled Fred and Marilyn, is inspired by the real-life relationship between writer Scott Prendergast (Kabluey) and his formidable mother.
The second is based on the best-selling Joey Pigza book series by Jack Gantos and is being billed as a high-definition family comedy. Claudia Silver (Jungle Junction) will pen the script.
Kwapis and Alexandra Beattie will shepherd the projects — both of which are only in the pilot script stage — through their In Cahoots production company.
The first, tentatively titled Fred and Marilyn, is inspired by the real-life relationship between writer Scott Prendergast (Kabluey) and his formidable mother.
The second is based on the best-selling Joey Pigza book series by Jack Gantos and is being billed as a high-definition family comedy. Claudia Silver (Jungle Junction) will pen the script.
Kwapis and Alexandra Beattie will shepherd the projects — both of which are only in the pilot script stage — through their In Cahoots production company.
- 8/31/2012
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
Director-producer Ken Kwapis has sold two family comedy projects to NBC though the first-look deal In Cahoots, his company with Alexandra Beattie, has with Universal Television. Kwapis is attached to direct both projects as well as executive produce with Beattie. The first project, tentatively titled Fred and Marilyn, is written by Scott Prendergast and inspired by his real life relationship with his mother. It focuses on one man and his formidable mother. “Words like ‘domineering’ and phrases like ‘force of nature’ do not begin to describe this off-the-wall mother,” Kwapis said. “The fact that this story is based on a real person makes my jaw drop.” The second project is is described as a high-definition family comedy based on Jack Gantos’s best-selling Joey Pigza book series. Claudia Silver will write the pilot. “I’m determined to develop a family comedy that is big, raucous and actually takes place in the real world,...
- 8/31/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Ken Kwapis’ dark comedy Trending Down is inching closer to a pilot order at Showtime. I’ve learned that the pay cable network has started casting the lead role in the project, Thom Payne, who is facing his own obsolescence at a shockingly young age. Thom just celebrated his 35th birthday and his company is being taken over. He is out of shape and has become complacent with his life. It is a standard practice for pay cable networks to try to cast the lead of a starring series vehicle before giving the project a green light. The comedy was written by author and This American Life contributor Shalom Auslander. The project was developed through Kwapis and his producing partner Alexandra Beattie’s company In Cahoots, with Kwapis serving as executive producer alongside Auslander and Beattie as co-executive producer.
- 8/31/2012
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Director/producer Ken Kwapis has come on board to direct NBC’s untitled Sarah Silverman comedy pilot, from Imagine TV and 20th TV. Additionally, Kwapis’ company, In Cahoots, has signed a one-year, first-look deal with NBC’s sister studio Universal Television, which kicks in June 1. The Sarah Silverman comedy, a pet project of Imagine principal Ron Howard, is loosely based on Silverman’s life. It stars the comedian as a woman readjusting to the single life after a decade-long live-in relationship. Silverman wrote the script with Dan Sterling and Jon Schroeder. Silverman, Sterling and Imagine’s Howard, Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo are executive producing, with Schroeder serving as co-exec producer. The project reunites Kwapis, Silverman and NBC. In 2000, Kwapis directed another NBC comedy pilot, Rocky Times, which co-starred Silverman. At NBC and Universal TV, Kwapis most recently executive produced and directed the pilot of the comedy Outsourced last season.
- 12/15/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Showtime has teamed with director-producer Ken Kwapis for two comedy projects. The comedies are being developed through Kwapis and his producing partner Alexandra Beattie’s company In Cahoots, with Kwapis serving as executive producer and Beattie as co-executive producer. The first project is an untitled dark comedy set in the world of modern advertising, which will be written/executive produced by author and This American Life contributor Shalom Auslander. Auslander’s second novel, Foreskin’s Lament, was optioned by Killer Films; his upcoming third one, Hope: A Tragedy, will be released in January. The second untitled comedy is a provocative look at the relationship of young married couple who decide to explore an open marriage. It is written and executive produced by Sara Goodman (Gossip Girl). Kwapis directed the pilot for NBC’s long-running comedy The Office and has helmed dozens of episodes of primetime comedy series, including The Office,...
- 11/17/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
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