The incredibly pricey Amazon TV series from directorDavid O. Russellis no more. Theuntitled TV showwas produced by The Weinstein Company and was to starRobert De NiroandJulianne Moore, but in light of the recentHarvey Weinsteinallegations and the suspension of Amazon Studios headRoy Priceafter harassment a harassment allegation, Amazon has decided not to move forward with the show. Russell, De Niro, and Moore released a joint statement saying that they’ve also decided the best option at this point is to scrap the series altogether, so it won’t be going to another network:
“We support Amazon’s decision as in light of recent news and out of respect for all those affected we have decided together that it is best to not move forward with this show.”
The Oscar-nominatedAmerican HustleandThe Silver Linings Playbookfilmmaker’s first foray into TVwas announced in November 2016, but it hadn’t yet even started production.THRsays the drama was said to be worth about $160 million for two seasons, and Amazon had already spent $40 million before pulling the plug, with only a handful of scripts turned in.
However, another The Weinstein Company-produced TV series at Amazon has a very different fate.Mad MencreatorMatthew Weiner’s anthology drama seriesThe Romanoffswill now be produced entirely by Amazon Studios, cutting ties with The Weinstein Company altogether. Production on that show is already underway, and in contrast to Russell’s series, has been going more smoothly. At $75 million it’s considerably cheaper, and four episodes of the show have already been shot. THR reports that Weiner expects the Weinstein name to be removed from the series entirely.
This news comes as The Weinstein Company exec and Harvey Weinstein’s brother,Bob Weinstein, insists it’s “business as usual” at the company asThe Wall Street Journalreports the company is exploring a sale or shutdown. A number of future projects are somewhat in limbo, but this all pales in comparison to the pain and trauma experienced by the victims.
