A year and a half after wrapping his iconic TV series Mad Men, the show’s creator, Matthew Weiner, has finally picked his next TV project. The creator is leaving AMC for streaming, making a $70 million deal with Amazon and The Weinstein Co. for his new, modern-day series. (Adweek)
In a competitive situation with six outlets bidding, Amazon has handed out an eight-episode straight-to-series order. (THR / Live Feed)
Weiner is creating, writing and executive producing. He also is expected to direct about half the episodes in the first season. (Deadline)
There’s keen interest in the industry about Weiner’s follow-up to Mad Men, given the show’s legacy in helping to spark the current explosion of original content across the dial. Since the series wrapped in May 2015, Weiner has mostly kept a low profile in TV. He sold a novel to Little, Brown And Co., titled Heather, The Totality, that is set for release next year. And he directed an episode of the most recent season of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black. (Variety)
Of course, Amazon is getting all the more ambitious with its original series offerings. With Transparent and Mozart In The Jungle winning awards, Amazon has also greenlit daring projects like The Tick and I Love Dick, two series that are bound to get attention when they premiere. (The Verge)
