Journalist and producer Nile Cappello has signed an overall deal with The Intellectual Property Corporation.
Under the deal, Cappello’s Yes, Like the River company will develop nonfiction programming for the Sony Pictures TV-based Ipc, led by CEO Eli Holzman and president Aaron Saidman. The agreement extends a working relationship between Ipc and Cappello’s company, which previously worked together on Death in the Dorms, a Hulu docuseries produced by Ipc and ABC News Studios.
Cappello is the creator and executive producer of Max’s docuseries The Way Down. She’s producing projects based on two of her long-form stories for The Atavist, “The Girl in the Picture” and “Crushed,” and has worked on iHeart’s podcast Solve and Vespucci’s Paperless. Max is also developing a scripted series based on The Way Down, with Sarah Paulson set to star as its central figure, Gwen Shamblin.
“Over the past years,...
Under the deal, Cappello’s Yes, Like the River company will develop nonfiction programming for the Sony Pictures TV-based Ipc, led by CEO Eli Holzman and president Aaron Saidman. The agreement extends a working relationship between Ipc and Cappello’s company, which previously worked together on Death in the Dorms, a Hulu docuseries produced by Ipc and ABC News Studios.
Cappello is the creator and executive producer of Max’s docuseries The Way Down. She’s producing projects based on two of her long-form stories for The Atavist, “The Girl in the Picture” and “Crushed,” and has worked on iHeart’s podcast Solve and Vespucci’s Paperless. Max is also developing a scripted series based on The Way Down, with Sarah Paulson set to star as its central figure, Gwen Shamblin.
“Over the past years,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With the success of long-format cult-exposé documentaries such as Hulu’s “Stolen Youth,” HBO’s “The Vow” and Netflix’s “Wild Wild Country,” it’s not surprising that both Amazon and Netflix greenlit competing docuseries about Twin Flames Universe – an alleged online love cult run by YouTube influencers Jeff and Shaleia Divine.
Amazon’s “Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe” is being released on Oct. 6, a month before Netflix’s “Escaping Twin Flames.”
“Desperately Seeking Soulmate” is based on journalist Alice Hines’ 2020 Vanity Fair article about the “always online, all-consuming world of Twin Flames Universe.” The article and subsequent docuseries, which Hines leads, takes a deep dive into the alleged online love cult, which is still active. Created by Jeff and Shaleia, Twin Flames Universe sells online classes that guarantee to match each member with their “soulmate.” The three-part Amazon docuseries examines how Jeff and Shaleia met and formed...
Amazon’s “Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe” is being released on Oct. 6, a month before Netflix’s “Escaping Twin Flames.”
“Desperately Seeking Soulmate” is based on journalist Alice Hines’ 2020 Vanity Fair article about the “always online, all-consuming world of Twin Flames Universe.” The article and subsequent docuseries, which Hines leads, takes a deep dive into the alleged online love cult, which is still active. Created by Jeff and Shaleia, Twin Flames Universe sells online classes that guarantee to match each member with their “soulmate.” The three-part Amazon docuseries examines how Jeff and Shaleia met and formed...
- 10/6/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Sarah Paulson confirmed just how far back her friendship with Pedro Pascal goes.
The Emmy winner revealed that after meeting Pascal when he was enrolled in NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1993, she would help financially support him.
“He’s talked about this publicly, but there were times when I would give him my per diem from a job I was working on so that he could have money to feed himself,” Paulson told Esquire.
Now, Paulson called the fandom for the “Last of Us” and “The Mandalorian” actor “so psychotic,” adding, “Everybody wants a piece of him.”
“You just want him to succeed,” Paulson said. “And that to me, I feel like, is the sign of a major movie star. I’m ready for him to take the reins from the guys from romantic comedies past, like Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson and all these guys. He can be all that.
The Emmy winner revealed that after meeting Pascal when he was enrolled in NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in 1993, she would help financially support him.
“He’s talked about this publicly, but there were times when I would give him my per diem from a job I was working on so that he could have money to feed himself,” Paulson told Esquire.
Now, Paulson called the fandom for the “Last of Us” and “The Mandalorian” actor “so psychotic,” adding, “Everybody wants a piece of him.”
“You just want him to succeed,” Paulson said. “And that to me, I feel like, is the sign of a major movie star. I’m ready for him to take the reins from the guys from romantic comedies past, like Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson and all these guys. He can be all that.
- 4/11/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Six months after HBO Max abandoned its nonfiction efforts in the wake of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the department’s top two executives have set up shop together. Jennifer O’Connell and Rebecca Quinn have launched Velvet Hammer Media (Vhm), a production company specializing in premium original nonfiction content.
O’Connell (former HBO Max EVP of nonfiction and live-action family originals) and Quinn (former HBO Max SVP of nonfiction original programming) will serve as co-CEOs and executive producers at their new outfit — with an eye on creating, producing and distributing formats, special-event programs and documentaries. Operating out of Los Angeles, the two have already hired development and production veteran Nick Alarcon (Lionsgate) as vice president.
“We have spent our entire professional lives in the content business, building and nurturing vital relationships with creatives and executives, and we look forward to furthering those collaborations and friendships through Vhm,” said O’Connell and Quinn in a joint statement.
O’Connell (former HBO Max EVP of nonfiction and live-action family originals) and Quinn (former HBO Max SVP of nonfiction original programming) will serve as co-CEOs and executive producers at their new outfit — with an eye on creating, producing and distributing formats, special-event programs and documentaries. Operating out of Los Angeles, the two have already hired development and production veteran Nick Alarcon (Lionsgate) as vice president.
“We have spent our entire professional lives in the content business, building and nurturing vital relationships with creatives and executives, and we look forward to furthering those collaborations and friendships through Vhm,” said O’Connell and Quinn in a joint statement.
- 2/10/2023
- by Mikey O'Connell
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jennifer O’Connell and Rebecca Quinn, who previously oversaw unscripted content at HBO Max, are moving into the production business.
O’Connell, who was EVP, Non-Fiction and Live-Action Family Originals, and Quinn, who was SVP, Non-Fiction Original Programming, have launched Vhm (Velvet Hammer Media).
The company will produce premium original non-fiction content with a focus on formats, special-event programs and documentaries.
It comes after the pair left last year after Warner Bros. Discovery axed non-scripted from its streaming service.
Based in L.A., the pair, who were responsible for shows such as Selena + Chef, Fboy Island and The Way Down, will serve as Co-CEOs and executive producers. They will be joined by Nick Alarcon, who previously oversaw unscripted development for Pulse Creative under the company’s overall deal with Lionsgate, as VP.
Vhm is also launching an Inside Access program, which will bolster diversity behind the camera. The program will ensure...
O’Connell, who was EVP, Non-Fiction and Live-Action Family Originals, and Quinn, who was SVP, Non-Fiction Original Programming, have launched Vhm (Velvet Hammer Media).
The company will produce premium original non-fiction content with a focus on formats, special-event programs and documentaries.
It comes after the pair left last year after Warner Bros. Discovery axed non-scripted from its streaming service.
Based in L.A., the pair, who were responsible for shows such as Selena + Chef, Fboy Island and The Way Down, will serve as Co-CEOs and executive producers. They will be joined by Nick Alarcon, who previously oversaw unscripted development for Pulse Creative under the company’s overall deal with Lionsgate, as VP.
Vhm is also launching an Inside Access program, which will bolster diversity behind the camera. The program will ensure...
- 2/10/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Ridley Scott and his Scott Free Productions banner is getting in on the true-crime trend.
The director is exec producing a four-part documentary series for Hulu that comes from ABC News Studios’ burgeoning slate.
Still Missing Morgan documents two parallel kidnapping cold cases as investigators uncover new leads in the case of missing six year old Morgan Nick, two decades after disappearing.
The series, which will air on the streamer on February 16, tells the story of the tragedy that struck the Nick family when 6-year-old Morgan Nick vanished while playing just a few feet from her mother, Collen Nick, in the summer of 1995. Colleen found solace in Patty Wetterling, whose son Jacob had gone missing six years prior.
Two decades later, Still Missing Morgan explores the cases of Morgan and Jacob as their grief-stricken mothers continue to search for answers. It follows the new investigators who reexamined the Morgan Nick...
The director is exec producing a four-part documentary series for Hulu that comes from ABC News Studios’ burgeoning slate.
Still Missing Morgan documents two parallel kidnapping cold cases as investigators uncover new leads in the case of missing six year old Morgan Nick, two decades after disappearing.
The series, which will air on the streamer on February 16, tells the story of the tragedy that struck the Nick family when 6-year-old Morgan Nick vanished while playing just a few feet from her mother, Collen Nick, in the summer of 1995. Colleen found solace in Patty Wetterling, whose son Jacob had gone missing six years prior.
Two decades later, Still Missing Morgan explores the cases of Morgan and Jacob as their grief-stricken mothers continue to search for answers. It follows the new investigators who reexamined the Morgan Nick...
- 2/10/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
“You know how they say you couldn’t write this s**t? You couldn’t write this s**t!” Jennifer Grey declares of her latest role, playing controversial Remnant Fellowship Church founder and Christian diet guru Gwen Shamblin in Gwen Shamblin: Starving for Salvation, a compelling new Lifetime docudrama. When the project first came her way, the Dirty Dancing actress had never heard of the woman it depicted, despite HBO’s buzzy 2021–22 docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin. “I immediately downloaded it, watched it, was appalled and stunned, and thrilled,” she shares. “I’m always fascinated by charismatic leaders and the power someone can gain from really hooking into a need in the culture.” Who was Gwen Shamblin? pic.twitter.com/VO1fpzjM4U — Lifetime (@lifetimetv) January 31, 2023 The film, premiering Saturday, February 4, spans roughly 20 years of Shamblin’s life, from humble beginnings to a rise fueled by her 1997 bestseller,...
- 2/3/2023
- TV Insider
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” led all films in nominations for the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ 70th annual Golden Reel Awards, the Mpse announced on Monday. The film received three nominations, while “The Batman,” “Elvis,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” each received two.
Of the 10 films shortlisted by the Academy for the Oscars Best Sound category (which covers both sound editing and sound mixing), eight received nominations from the Mpse: the five with multiple nominations, plus “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Moonage Daydream.”
Two films shortlisted by the Oscars’ Sound Branch, “Babylon” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” were not nominated by the Mpse. Over the last two years, the period in which the Oscars have given out a single sound award, every Oscar nominee was previously nominated by the guild.
Also Read:
As the Globes and Critics Choice Awards Approach,...
Of the 10 films shortlisted by the Academy for the Oscars Best Sound category (which covers both sound editing and sound mixing), eight received nominations from the Mpse: the five with multiple nominations, plus “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Moonage Daydream.”
Two films shortlisted by the Oscars’ Sound Branch, “Babylon” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” were not nominated by the Mpse. Over the last two years, the period in which the Oscars have given out a single sound award, every Oscar nominee was previously nominated by the guild.
Also Read:
As the Globes and Critics Choice Awards Approach,...
- 1/9/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
ABC News Studios will unveil three new true crime docuseries on Hulu beginning in January, including one which comes from Colin Kaepernick and another from “The Way Down” executive producer Nile Cappello.
“Death in the Dorms”, which premieres Jan. 5, follows the tragic stories of six college students whose lives were cut short by violence crime: UCLA student Andrea DelVesco, University of Florida first-year student Christian Aguilar, University of Virginia lacrosse player Yeardley Love, Baruch College first-year student Michael Deng, University of South Carolina senior Samantha Josephson and Western Kentucky University first-year student Katie Autry.
Through emotional testimony from family and friends and interviews with key law enforcement, each episode focuses on the life of one bright young student, diving into their lost potential, their loved ones’ grief, and the fight to bring their killers to justice.
The series is produced in association with The Intellectual Property Corporation (a part of Sony Pictures Television), and Yes,...
“Death in the Dorms”, which premieres Jan. 5, follows the tragic stories of six college students whose lives were cut short by violence crime: UCLA student Andrea DelVesco, University of Florida first-year student Christian Aguilar, University of Virginia lacrosse player Yeardley Love, Baruch College first-year student Michael Deng, University of South Carolina senior Samantha Josephson and Western Kentucky University first-year student Katie Autry.
Through emotional testimony from family and friends and interviews with key law enforcement, each episode focuses on the life of one bright young student, diving into their lost potential, their loved ones’ grief, and the fight to bring their killers to justice.
The series is produced in association with The Intellectual Property Corporation (a part of Sony Pictures Television), and Yes,...
- 12/12/2022
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Exclusive: ABC News Studios is ramping up its slate of true-crime docuseries for Hulu with new projects from the likes of Colin Kaepernick and The Way Down’s Nile Cappello.
The streamer will launch three new docuseries from the fledgling production division that was launched last year with plans for 100 hours of programming this year.
Three new titles that will air in January are: Killing County, Death in the Dorms and Web of Death.
Death in the Dorms, which launches on January 5, tells the true stories of six college students whose lives tragically ended in murder: UCLA’s Andrea DelVesco, University of Florida’s Christian Aguilar, University of Virginia’s Yeardley Love, Baruch College’s Michael Deng, University of South Carolina’s Samantha Josephson, and Western Kentucky University’s Katie Autry.
Each episode will focus on the life of one bright young student, diving into their lost potential, their loved ones’ grief,...
The streamer will launch three new docuseries from the fledgling production division that was launched last year with plans for 100 hours of programming this year.
Three new titles that will air in January are: Killing County, Death in the Dorms and Web of Death.
Death in the Dorms, which launches on January 5, tells the true stories of six college students whose lives tragically ended in murder: UCLA’s Andrea DelVesco, University of Florida’s Christian Aguilar, University of Virginia’s Yeardley Love, Baruch College’s Michael Deng, University of South Carolina’s Samantha Josephson, and Western Kentucky University’s Katie Autry.
Each episode will focus on the life of one bright young student, diving into their lost potential, their loved ones’ grief,...
- 12/12/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Michelle Dean, co-creator and co-showrunner of Hulu’s “The Act,” has signed with CAA for representation.
An attorney-turned-journalist, Dean is the recipient of the National Book Critics Circle award for excellence in criticism in 2017 for “Sharp: The Women Who Made An Art of Having an Opinion,” which explored the cultural and intellectual impact of female literary trailblazers of the twentieth century. As a journalist, Dean trained as a reporter at The New Yorker before going on to receive bylines in The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, Elle, The Cut and other publications.
Dean’s 2016 reporting on the Buzzfeed story “Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom Murdered,” inspired Hulu’s “The Act.” Starring Joey King and Patricia Arquette, the series broke Hulu viewing and subscription records in 2019. Both King and Arquette received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for their leading roles. Arquette won both...
An attorney-turned-journalist, Dean is the recipient of the National Book Critics Circle award for excellence in criticism in 2017 for “Sharp: The Women Who Made An Art of Having an Opinion,” which explored the cultural and intellectual impact of female literary trailblazers of the twentieth century. As a journalist, Dean trained as a reporter at The New Yorker before going on to receive bylines in The New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, Elle, The Cut and other publications.
Dean’s 2016 reporting on the Buzzfeed story “Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom Murdered,” inspired Hulu’s “The Act.” Starring Joey King and Patricia Arquette, the series broke Hulu viewing and subscription records in 2019. Both King and Arquette received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for their leading roles. Arquette won both...
- 12/8/2022
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Tom Cruise revived movie theaters with the blockbuster hit “Top Gun: Maverick,” Taylor Swift broke the internet (and Ticketmaster) with her “Midnights” album and “Eras” tour and Michelle Yeoh proved that Marvel wasn’t the only one with a multiverse up its sleeve with “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” Here is what the Variety staff is thankful for in entertainment in 2022.
In a year when fabulous genre storytelling in general was everywhere on TV — “Stranger Things,” “Ms. Marvel,” “The Sandman,” “The Rings of Power,” “House of the Dragon” — I have been thankful for three sci-fi shows that have dazzled me the most. Apple TV+’s “Severance” vivisects office life through the prism of a paranoid thriller; Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” captures the old magic of “Star Trek” while feeling thrilling new; and Disney+’s “Andor” transforms “Star Wars” into a platform for some of the most trenchant...
In a year when fabulous genre storytelling in general was everywhere on TV — “Stranger Things,” “Ms. Marvel,” “The Sandman,” “The Rings of Power,” “House of the Dragon” — I have been thankful for three sci-fi shows that have dazzled me the most. Apple TV+’s “Severance” vivisects office life through the prism of a paranoid thriller; Paramount+’s “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” captures the old magic of “Star Trek” while feeling thrilling new; and Disney+’s “Andor” transforms “Star Wars” into a platform for some of the most trenchant...
- 11/24/2022
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Sarah Paulson will star in and executive produce a movie about Gwen Shamblin, the woman who ran a cult-like diet program and church beginning in the 1980s, Deadline revealed on Sept. 19. The film will be a scripted adaption of the HBO Max docuseries "The Way Down," which chronicles Shamblin's rise and downfall.
Shamblin, who died in 2021, ran a diet program called the Weigh Down Workshop. She quickly amassed a devoted following and went on to found the Remnant Fellowship Church. But she was eventually accused of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse by followers, some of whom said the church advocated abusive discipline and encouraged eating disorders, among many other critiques, per The Guardian. Two of the church's members were also convicted of murdering their own son in 2007, per NBC.
"The Way Down" chronicles Shamblin's rise, as well as the plane crash that led to her death just before the series' completion.
Shamblin, who died in 2021, ran a diet program called the Weigh Down Workshop. She quickly amassed a devoted following and went on to found the Remnant Fellowship Church. But she was eventually accused of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse by followers, some of whom said the church advocated abusive discipline and encouraged eating disorders, among many other critiques, per The Guardian. Two of the church's members were also convicted of murdering their own son in 2007, per NBC.
"The Way Down" chronicles Shamblin's rise, as well as the plane crash that led to her death just before the series' completion.
- 9/21/2022
- by Eden Arielle Gordon
- Popsugar.com
Weigh Down Ministries and its titular method of weight loss and religious worship have been a subject of public fascination for years. Whether it was because of leader Gwen Shamblin's eccentric appearance or the allegations of its Remnant Fellowship Church promoting eating disorders and abuse, it seemed like it was a must-know for anyone even slightly interested in the workings of "unconventional" churches. However, when Shamblin and six other leaders of Weigh Down Ministries died in a 2021 plane crash, public knowledge about the group spread further than it had ever had before, causing their secrets to be unearthed once more.
These secrets and the history of the group were covered in the HBO Max docuseries "The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin," which was set before and after Shamblin's death. Now that the docuseries has proven popular for true crime fans, it will now be...
These secrets and the history of the group were covered in the HBO Max docuseries "The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin," which was set before and after Shamblin's death. Now that the docuseries has proven popular for true crime fans, it will now be...
- 9/19/2022
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
Sarah Paulson will soon be rocking a new 'do. The American Horror Story actress has been cast as controversial religious leader Gwen Shamblin in HBO Max's scripted version of their docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin, E! News has learned. Paulson will also be executive producing the series. Besides being known for her signature huge hairstyle, Gwen rose to prominence as the founder of the Christian-based diet program the Weigh Down Workshop and Remnant Fellowship Church. In the docuseries, she was accused of abuse and exploitation for her program and church's alleged cult-like practices. According to the...
- 9/19/2022
- E! Online
Sarah Paulson is set to star and exec produce the HBO Max scripted adaptation of its docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin.
Deadline broke the news in April that the streamer was adapting its documentary about the cult-like figure, who died last year, as a scripted series.
Paulson will play Shamblin, who rose to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program, and founded the Remnant Fellowship Church. She was a charismatic figure with a carefully curated image who was accused of emotional, psychological and physical abuse and exploitation for the church’s alleged cult-like practices.
Michelle Dean, who recently served as showrunner and exec producer of Hulu’s The Act, starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King, will serve as showrunner and exec producer of the scripted series, which comes from Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios and Chrissy Teigen’s Huntley Productions
The project,...
Deadline broke the news in April that the streamer was adapting its documentary about the cult-like figure, who died last year, as a scripted series.
Paulson will play Shamblin, who rose to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program, and founded the Remnant Fellowship Church. She was a charismatic figure with a carefully curated image who was accused of emotional, psychological and physical abuse and exploitation for the church’s alleged cult-like practices.
Michelle Dean, who recently served as showrunner and exec producer of Hulu’s The Act, starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King, will serve as showrunner and exec producer of the scripted series, which comes from Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios and Chrissy Teigen’s Huntley Productions
The project,...
- 9/19/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Sarah Paulson is no stranger to playing real people: Among other roles, she won an Emmy award for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in 2016’s “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” and was recently nominated for an Emmy for “Impeachment: American Crime Story” for playing Linda Tripp. Now, Paulson is attached to star and executive produce the scripted adaptation of “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” which HBO Max is developing from its own five-part docuseries.
Michelle Dean, who was the co-creator of the 2019 Hulu limited series “The Act,” is the showrunner of the scripted adaptation.
HBO Max dropped the first three episodes of Marina Zenovich’s investigative docuseries “The Way Down” on Sept. 30 of last year. It detailed Gwen Shamblin Lara’s rise from being a diet guru with her Weigh Down Workshop (launched in 1986) to the founding of her Tennessee church,...
Michelle Dean, who was the co-creator of the 2019 Hulu limited series “The Act,” is the showrunner of the scripted adaptation.
HBO Max dropped the first three episodes of Marina Zenovich’s investigative docuseries “The Way Down” on Sept. 30 of last year. It detailed Gwen Shamblin Lara’s rise from being a diet guru with her Weigh Down Workshop (launched in 1986) to the founding of her Tennessee church,...
- 9/19/2022
- by Kate Aurthur
- Variety Film + TV
The Aug. 6 address before the assembly at Remnant Fellowship — delivered to an in-person gathering in Brentwood, Tn, and via webcast to anyone who might want to watch — began typically enough, with congregants watching an old video sermon from Gwen Shamblin Lara, the church’s late founder who died in a plane crash on May 29, 2021.
What happened after the video portion ended, though, was unusual. In a portion of the sermon, obtained by Variety, Elizabeth Hannah, Lara’s daughter and a leader at Remnant, called in, as she sometimes does. But instead of her usual teachings for Saturday service, Hannah delivered a homily of schadenfreude aimed directly at HBO Max, the enemy of Remnant and the Shamblin family.
Hannah’s grudge against HBO Max has a specific and pointed history. On Sept. 30 of last year, the streamer dropped the first three episodes of Marina Zenovich’s investigative docuseries “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin...
What happened after the video portion ended, though, was unusual. In a portion of the sermon, obtained by Variety, Elizabeth Hannah, Lara’s daughter and a leader at Remnant, called in, as she sometimes does. But instead of her usual teachings for Saturday service, Hannah delivered a homily of schadenfreude aimed directly at HBO Max, the enemy of Remnant and the Shamblin family.
Hannah’s grudge against HBO Max has a specific and pointed history. On Sept. 30 of last year, the streamer dropped the first three episodes of Marina Zenovich’s investigative docuseries “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin...
- 8/25/2022
- by Kate Aurthur
- Variety Film + TV
HBO/HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys sent a memo to employees this afternoon, explaining the decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to layoff 70 employees, or 14 of his workforce, as the company restructures. The move, announced the morning, comes as Warner Bros. Discovery prepares to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ into one streamer — with the decision made to reduce redundancies in unscripted programming. But a changing business model also led to cuts in scripted children’s and family fare, casting, international and acquisitions.
“Unfortunately, the environment in which we operate is changing rapidly, and it is up to us to continue to refine our model to chart a course for long term success,” he wrote in the memo. “As you heard from David Zaslav during our last earnings call, producing top-tier HBO/Max scripted content is crucial to Wbd’s future. Part of this process involves an honest assessment of what we need moving forward.
“Unfortunately, the environment in which we operate is changing rapidly, and it is up to us to continue to refine our model to chart a course for long term success,” he wrote in the memo. “As you heard from David Zaslav during our last earnings call, producing top-tier HBO/Max scripted content is crucial to Wbd’s future. Part of this process involves an honest assessment of what we need moving forward.
- 8/15/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
At the end of a day that saw about 70 (14) staffers in his divisions getting laid off, Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer for HBO & HBO Max, just sent an email to his team about the cuts as well as his new (old) senior HBO/Max scripted executive team of Amy Gravitt, Francesca Orsi and Sarah Aubrey, which includes new responsibilities for Gravitt and Aubrey.
In the memo (read it in full below), Bloys lays out the responsibilities for his top executives on the scripted and documentary side who are staying on and also highlights the accomplishments of the top executives who are leaving as a result of the layoffs: Jennifer O’Connell, Jennifer Kim; Michael Quigley and Linda Lowy.
“Although I am confident these structural changes will allow us to sustain a thriving business model, these decisions have been extremely painful to make,” Bloys wrote. “We operate in an environment where we...
In the memo (read it in full below), Bloys lays out the responsibilities for his top executives on the scripted and documentary side who are staying on and also highlights the accomplishments of the top executives who are leaving as a result of the layoffs: Jennifer O’Connell, Jennifer Kim; Michael Quigley and Linda Lowy.
“Although I am confident these structural changes will allow us to sustain a thriving business model, these decisions have been extremely painful to make,” Bloys wrote. “We operate in an environment where we...
- 8/15/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix is hoping to solve the legend of D.B. Cooper, the mystery man who hijacked a Northwest Airlines passenger jet in November 1971 and escaped with 200,000, never to be seen again.
The streamer has ordered D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! from Fulwell 73 Productions and director Marina Zenovich’s Pmz Pictures.
The four-part doc series, which launches on July 13, marks the first true-crime project for Fulwell 73, which is best known for producing The Late Late Show with James Corden and Hulu’s The Kardashians.
The series looks at the 50-year quest to find Cooper, whose identity remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century and the only unsolved case of air piracy in commercial aviation history.
There have been multiple suspects in the case over the years including the possibility that Cooper was a Boeing employee, that he was former WWII paratrooper Kenneth Peter Christiansen, former leather worker...
The streamer has ordered D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! from Fulwell 73 Productions and director Marina Zenovich’s Pmz Pictures.
The four-part doc series, which launches on July 13, marks the first true-crime project for Fulwell 73, which is best known for producing The Late Late Show with James Corden and Hulu’s The Kardashians.
The series looks at the 50-year quest to find Cooper, whose identity remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century and the only unsolved case of air piracy in commercial aviation history.
There have been multiple suspects in the case over the years including the possibility that Cooper was a Boeing employee, that he was former WWII paratrooper Kenneth Peter Christiansen, former leather worker...
- 6/16/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
UTA is lighting a fire for Ross Dinerstein and Campfire Studios.
The producer and his production company have signed with the agency for worldwide representation in all areas and he comes to the agency after having amassed dozens of scripted and unscripted credits, ranging from feature films to TV/streaming projects.
Dinerstein and Campfire’s current and most recent projects include HBO Max’s The Way Down and Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults; Hulu’s WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a 47 Billion Unicorn; FX’s Hysterical and The Most Dangerous Animal of All; Magnolia Pictures’ A Glitch in the Matrix; CNN’s The Lost Sons; Netflix’s Voir, Neymar: The Perfect Chaos and John Grisham’s The Innocent Man, and Special.
Dinerstein has also produced eight Netflix Original features including Rattlesnake, an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1922, The Package, Rebirth,...
UTA is lighting a fire for Ross Dinerstein and Campfire Studios.
The producer and his production company have signed with the agency for worldwide representation in all areas and he comes to the agency after having amassed dozens of scripted and unscripted credits, ranging from feature films to TV/streaming projects.
Dinerstein and Campfire’s current and most recent projects include HBO Max’s The Way Down and Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults; Hulu’s WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a 47 Billion Unicorn; FX’s Hysterical and The Most Dangerous Animal of All; Magnolia Pictures’ A Glitch in the Matrix; CNN’s The Lost Sons; Netflix’s Voir, Neymar: The Perfect Chaos and John Grisham’s The Innocent Man, and Special.
Dinerstein has also produced eight Netflix Original features including Rattlesnake, an adaptation of Stephen King’s 1922, The Package, Rebirth,...
- 6/7/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: 7M Films, a management company that represents social media stars and TikTok dancers and is at the center of a controversy accusing it of being cult-like, is set to be the subject of a new documentary series.
Rolling Stone magazine dove deep into the company for a long feature in March centered on two dancers Miranda and James Derrick and this story is now being used as the basis for a docuseries that is in the works at HBO Max.
The streamer is working with the team behind its recent hit docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin on the project. Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios, Huntley Productions, which is run by Chrissy Teigen, who has over 37M followers on Instagram herself, 3Arts’ Luke Dillon and investigative writer and producer Nile Cappello have teamed up with the Pmc-owned brand to develop the project.
Rolling Stone magazine dove deep into the company for a long feature in March centered on two dancers Miranda and James Derrick and this story is now being used as the basis for a docuseries that is in the works at HBO Max.
The streamer is working with the team behind its recent hit docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin on the project. Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios, Huntley Productions, which is run by Chrissy Teigen, who has over 37M followers on Instagram herself, 3Arts’ Luke Dillon and investigative writer and producer Nile Cappello have teamed up with the Pmc-owned brand to develop the project.
- 5/12/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Epix’s four-part docuseries “Fall River” and Oxygen’s “Cold Justice” were among the key winners of CrimeCon’s first annual Clue Awards, announced on Saturday night at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel.
The event took place during CrimeCon, a live event for true crime content creators, industry professionals and fans. Law & Crime network founder, NewsNation host and ABC chief legal analyst Dan Abrams hosted the ceremony.
Winners of the awards were selected from a panel of over 30 true crime professionals, ranging from executives at NBC, iHeart Media and Spotify, to authors and podcast hosts.
In the television categories, Epix received the award for best docuseries, for its Blumhouse Television and Pyramid Productions series “Fall River.” The series, which was directed and produced by James Buddy Day, ran in May 2021 and centered on a series of crimes in Fall River, Mass., where three young women were killed in 1979. Police blamed...
The event took place during CrimeCon, a live event for true crime content creators, industry professionals and fans. Law & Crime network founder, NewsNation host and ABC chief legal analyst Dan Abrams hosted the ceremony.
Winners of the awards were selected from a panel of over 30 true crime professionals, ranging from executives at NBC, iHeart Media and Spotify, to authors and podcast hosts.
In the television categories, Epix received the award for best docuseries, for its Blumhouse Television and Pyramid Productions series “Fall River.” The series, which was directed and produced by James Buddy Day, ran in May 2021 and centered on a series of crimes in Fall River, Mass., where three young women were killed in 1979. Police blamed...
- 5/1/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: HBO Max docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed & The Cult of Gwen Shamblin is set to be adapted as a scripted series.
Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios and Chrissy Teigen’s Huntley Productions, which produced the docuseries about cult-like figure Gwen Shamblin Lara, who rose to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program, and founded the Remnant Fellowship Church, are working on the drama adaptation.
They have teamed up with Michelle Dean, who recently served as showrunner and exec producer of Hulu’s The Act, which starred Patricia Arquette and Joey King. Dean will serve as showrunner and exec producer on the scripted series.
Deadline understands that the team are also in talks with high-profile actors to play Shamblin Lara, a charismatic figure with a carefully curated image who was accused of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse, and exploitation for the church’s alleged cult-like practices.
Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios and Chrissy Teigen’s Huntley Productions, which produced the docuseries about cult-like figure Gwen Shamblin Lara, who rose to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program, and founded the Remnant Fellowship Church, are working on the drama adaptation.
They have teamed up with Michelle Dean, who recently served as showrunner and exec producer of Hulu’s The Act, which starred Patricia Arquette and Joey King. Dean will serve as showrunner and exec producer on the scripted series.
Deadline understands that the team are also in talks with high-profile actors to play Shamblin Lara, a charismatic figure with a carefully curated image who was accused of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse, and exploitation for the church’s alleged cult-like practices.
- 4/28/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO Max has more to explore within the Remnant Fellowship Church.
A trailer released Tuesday gives a look at Part 2 of the docuseries “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” which explores the controversial church and its following.
Part 1 launched on HBO Max in September. It followed Shamblin’s rise to fame with her Christian-based diet program, as well as the founding of Remnant Fellowship Church. The episodes also dove into the accusations of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse that the church has faced, including testimony from survivors.
The second part of the docuseries is expected to investigate the aftermath of Shamblin’s shocking death last year, when a private plane she was on crashed into a lake.
The trailer, which you can watch above, promises new stories from survivors who came forward after Shamblin died. It also gives a glimpse at how the church, which...
A trailer released Tuesday gives a look at Part 2 of the docuseries “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” which explores the controversial church and its following.
Part 1 launched on HBO Max in September. It followed Shamblin’s rise to fame with her Christian-based diet program, as well as the founding of Remnant Fellowship Church. The episodes also dove into the accusations of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse that the church has faced, including testimony from survivors.
The second part of the docuseries is expected to investigate the aftermath of Shamblin’s shocking death last year, when a private plane she was on crashed into a lake.
The trailer, which you can watch above, promises new stories from survivors who came forward after Shamblin died. It also gives a glimpse at how the church, which...
- 4/12/2022
- by Katie Campione
- The Wrap
The team behind HBO Max docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed & The Cult of Gwen Shamblin debuted footage from its second part at SXSW.
The docuseries, which is directed by Marina Zenovich and exec produced by Chrissy Teigen, launched in September 2021 with three episodes, becoming the streamer’s most-watched docuseries at time of release.
Deadline moderated a panel session at SXSW in Austin, Texas, with the team behind the series, which will launch its final two episodes on April 28 and you can see a clip above.
The story kicked off when “badass story hunter” Nile Cappello was researching female cult leaders and came across Shamblin. She then went to Campfire, which produced the series with Teigen’s Huntley Productions and sold it to HBO Max, which they had already worked with on Heaven’s Gate.
However, just before finishing the series, Gwen Shamblin Lara and her husband died in a plane...
The docuseries, which is directed by Marina Zenovich and exec produced by Chrissy Teigen, launched in September 2021 with three episodes, becoming the streamer’s most-watched docuseries at time of release.
Deadline moderated a panel session at SXSW in Austin, Texas, with the team behind the series, which will launch its final two episodes on April 28 and you can see a clip above.
The story kicked off when “badass story hunter” Nile Cappello was researching female cult leaders and came across Shamblin. She then went to Campfire, which produced the series with Teigen’s Huntley Productions and sold it to HBO Max, which they had already worked with on Heaven’s Gate.
However, just before finishing the series, Gwen Shamblin Lara and her husband died in a plane...
- 3/12/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Campfire Studios, the company behind HBO Max docuseries The Way Down and Hulu’s WeWork doc, is expanding its scripted division and has hired former Marc Platt Productions exec Ryan Christians to oversee a new push.
The Wheelhouse-backed producer, run by Ross Dinerstein, is best known for its documentary output but it has a number of scripted credits including Special, the Ryan O’Connell-created dramedy series, Stephen King thriller 1922, Rattlesnake and comedy The Package, all for Netflix as well as IFC’s cult horror The Pact.
Christians has worked closely with Campfire on production of Netflix’s upcoming romantic comedy Players, which is a co-production between Dinerstein’s company and Marc Platt and stars Gina Rodriguez and Damon Wayans.
He joins as SVP and Head of Scripted Content and has been tasked with growing its scripted output. The company already has various scripted projects in development for streaming platforms,...
The Wheelhouse-backed producer, run by Ross Dinerstein, is best known for its documentary output but it has a number of scripted credits including Special, the Ryan O’Connell-created dramedy series, Stephen King thriller 1922, Rattlesnake and comedy The Package, all for Netflix as well as IFC’s cult horror The Pact.
Christians has worked closely with Campfire on production of Netflix’s upcoming romantic comedy Players, which is a co-production between Dinerstein’s company and Marc Platt and stars Gina Rodriguez and Damon Wayans.
He joins as SVP and Head of Scripted Content and has been tasked with growing its scripted output. The company already has various scripted projects in development for streaming platforms,...
- 3/9/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: 101 Studios (Yellowstone), Above the Line Productions (Official Secrets), Campfire Studios (WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn) and Pzaj (Camp Hideout) are teaming on a feature documentary about the corruption within global soccer organization FIFA.
The feature documentary will follow late journalist Andrew Jennings’ investigation into the misconduct and corruption of FIFA’s executive team and members. Jennings’ background in investigative journalism and knowledge of criminology led him to unravel the organization from within. When his research captured the attention of the FBI and U.S. attorney Loretta Lynch, they teamed to reveal further layers of crime which led to multiple arrests and ultimately, the resignation of FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Co-directed by Clay Tweel and Maura Anderson, the film will tell the story through the eyes of the investigative reporter who went head-to-head with the world’s most powerful sports organization.
The project was...
The feature documentary will follow late journalist Andrew Jennings’ investigation into the misconduct and corruption of FIFA’s executive team and members. Jennings’ background in investigative journalism and knowledge of criminology led him to unravel the organization from within. When his research captured the attention of the FBI and U.S. attorney Loretta Lynch, they teamed to reveal further layers of crime which led to multiple arrests and ultimately, the resignation of FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Co-directed by Clay Tweel and Maura Anderson, the film will tell the story through the eyes of the investigative reporter who went head-to-head with the world’s most powerful sports organization.
The project was...
- 2/23/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Twelve Tribes, a controversial religious group and alleged cult that has been engulfed in allegations of abuse, kidnapping and murder, is set to be the subject of a new docuseries.
ITV America’s Good Caper Content has teamed up with journalist Nile Cappello, an exec producer on HBO Max’s docuseries The Way Down about alleged cult leader and diet program founder Gwen Shamblin Lara, for the series.
They will take the project to buyers soon.
The series will center on an investigation launched in 2017 by journalist Shelton Brown, who was hoping to learn more about the religious group behind The Yellow Deli, a restaurant in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. His lighthearted local investigation soon became an obsession to expose what he believes to be a powerful and insidious cult with a long history of predatory recruiting practices. Brown’s years of research and interviews with former...
ITV America’s Good Caper Content has teamed up with journalist Nile Cappello, an exec producer on HBO Max’s docuseries The Way Down about alleged cult leader and diet program founder Gwen Shamblin Lara, for the series.
They will take the project to buyers soon.
The series will center on an investigation launched in 2017 by journalist Shelton Brown, who was hoping to learn more about the religious group behind The Yellow Deli, a restaurant in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. His lighthearted local investigation soon became an obsession to expose what he believes to be a powerful and insidious cult with a long history of predatory recruiting practices. Brown’s years of research and interviews with former...
- 2/17/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The Way Down Wanderers’ latest album More Like Tomorrow is a journey: The Peoria, Illinois, band blends string music with art-rock dramatics and boasts two lead singers in brothers-in-law Collin Krause and Austin Krause-Thompson. When they harmonize, it’s halfway to a religious experience.
But the five-piece — rounded out by drummer John Merikoski, bassist John Williams and banjoist Travis Kowalsky — aren’t out to proselytize. They just want to change your world, or at least provide optimism during demoralizing times.
“Hopefully what we’re doing is helping people open up...
But the five-piece — rounded out by drummer John Merikoski, bassist John Williams and banjoist Travis Kowalsky — aren’t out to proselytize. They just want to change your world, or at least provide optimism during demoralizing times.
“Hopefully what we’re doing is helping people open up...
- 12/15/2021
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
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