Master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock once said, "Always make the audience suffer as much as possible." In that vein, Universal Cable Productions (UCP) has inked a deal with the Alfred Hitchcock Estate to develop "Welcome to Hitchcock," an inspired take on the master filmmaker's unique brand of storytelling that encompassed such iconic stories as THE BIRDS, PSYCHO and the popular television series Hitchcock Presents. UCP will collaborate on the project with Vermilion Entertainment, the newly formed television production company by the founders of Cross Creek Pictures, as well as Academy Award(R)-nominated producer Chris Columbus' 1492 Pictures/Ocean Blue Entertainment. This marks Vermilion's first project for scripted television. Columbus, Academy Award(R)-nominated producer Michael Barnathan, Timmy Thompson and Todd Thompson will serve as executive producers along with the Hitchcock family. Columbus will direct the pilot. Emmy(R) award winner Casey Tebo will serve as co-producer.
The new original anthology series will focus on a single season-long mystery or crime in the spirit of the classic Hitchcock style and legacy. Plans are in place for the studio to continue collaborating with the Hitchcock Estate to design a series that will entertain Hitchcock enthusiasts and entice an entirely new generation of fans.
"Long after his death, Alfred Hitchcock continues to be one of the most celebrated directors and visionaries in the world, a master manipulator of the macabre," said Dawn Olmstead, Executive Vice President of Development, Universal Cable Productions. "We're honored that the Hitchcock Estate has put its trust in our studio to pay homage to his work."
"Our grandfather always collaborated with the best and the brightest to help shape his vision," said Katie O'Connell-Fiala on behalf of the Hitchcock Trust and MTK Corporation, which was founded by O'Connell-Fiala and her sisters, Mary O'Connell-Stone and Tere O'Connell-Carrubba. "We're confident that Universal Cable Productions will take great care in helping us to continue preserving his legacy."
Just as the original series utilized prominent directors from Hitchcock himself to George Stevens Jr., Arthur Hiller, Stuart Rosenberg, Robert Stevenson and Robert Altman, the new anthology series will seek out premiere filmmakers and talent to pay homage to the spirit of Hitchcock's style and legacy.
UCP recently celebrated Emmy wins for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the hit
usa network series "Mr. Robot," which has been picked up for a third season. Next month the studio will launch FALLING WATER, a mind-bending drama on
usa network produced by Gale Anne Hurd ("The Walking Dead") and co-written by Blake Masters ("Brotherhood") and the late Henry Bromell. In addition, UCP's popular fantasy drama, "The Magicians," is currently in production on its second season for Syfy.
About Universal Cable Productions: Universal Cable Productions (UCP) creates innovative and critically acclaimed original scripted and digital content across media platforms for domestic and international distribution. In the U.S., UCP's programming can be seen across various networks including the Emmy(R) and Golden Globe award-winning drama "Mr. Robot," "Colony," "Playing House," "Royal Pains" and "Suits" on
USA Network; "The Magicians," "12 Monkeys," and "Killjoys" on Syfy; "Girlfriends' Guide To Divorce" on Bravo; "The Royals," on E!; and "Difficult People," on Hulu. UCP's content library includes critic and fan favorites such as the Emmy-award winning "Monk" as well as "Psych" and "Battlestar Galactica." Universal Cable Productions is a part of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. Follow us @UCPisTV.
About 1492 Pictures: 1492's Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan are the Academy Award nominated producers behind The Help. Columbus directed, as well as produced with 1492 partners Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe, the first two installments of the Harry Potter franchise: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. They also produced the third film in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The trio have served as producers on such Columbus-directed projects as Nine Months, Rent, Stepmom, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. In addition, Columbus has been at the helm of several classics, including Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire, and as a writer he launched his career with the legendary films Gremlins and Goonies. 1492 Pictures latest film is I Kill Giants starring Zoe Saldana, directed by Academy Award winner Anders Walter, which begins shooting in Ireland in late September. 1492 Pictures has a long-term partnership with Ocean Blue Entertainment to finance and produce films together.
About Vermilion Entertainment: Vermilion Entertainment is a new television production and finance company formed by the founders of Cross Creek Pictures, Timmy Thompson, Brian Oliver & Todd Thompson. Cross Creek Pictures has produced films such as BLACK MASS, BLACK SWAN, and the upcoming HACKSAW RIDGE along with many other successful titles. "Welcome to Hitchcock" will be the first project developed under the Vermilion Entertainment banner.
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