WARNERMEDIA EXPANDS RELATIONSHIP WITH ACCLAIMED FILMMAKER STEVEN SODERBERGH SIGNING 3-YEAR OVERALL DEAL FOR HBO MAX AND HBO
Deal Builds Upon Previously Announced HBO Max
Original Soderbergh Film Let Them All Talk (WT)
PASADENA - January 15, 2020 - Announced today from the stage at the WarnerMedia Television Critics Association (TCA) Day, legendary filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has signed a 3-year deal to develop content for both HBO Max and HBO, which shall be exclusive in all forms of television and a first-look for features.
Soderbergh's first project with HBO Max is the previously announced feature Let Them All Talk starring Oscar(R), Emmy(R), and Golden Globe(R) award winner Meryl Streep (Big Little Lies, The Iron Lady, The Devil Wears Prada), Emmy(R) award winner and Oscar(R) nominee Candice Bergen (Murphy Brown), Oscar(R), Emmy(R), and Golden Globe(R) award winner Dianne Wiest (Hannah and Her Sisters, Bullets Over Broadway), Oscar(R) and Golden Globe(R) award nominee Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Boy Erased) and SAG Award(R) nominee Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians, Captain Marvel, Mary Queen of Scots), which tells the story of a celebrated author (Streep) who takes a journey with some old friends to have some fun and heal old wounds. The film will launch on HBO Max in 2020. Soderbergh has been making films with Warner Bros. Pictures since 2001 and remains a long-time collaborator with HBO.
"This arrangement grew out of talks Michael Sugar and I were having with Sarah Aubrey during the negotiations for Let Them All Talk, and there were four things tractor-beaming me toward this deal: One, I have a history with both HBO and Warner Bros.; two, my definition of a good product, a good process, and a good working culture is shared by the WarnerMedia family; three, the wide range of potential outlets aligns with my range of interests, and four: I get to witness and participate in the building of something new at a very large scale. Oh, and there is a financial aspect, so that's probably five," said Steven Soderbergh.
"Steven is a groundbreaking filmmaker who not only tells unique, irresistible stories, but is also a master of so many genres," said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max. "In many ways, he is the anti-algorithm constantly surprising, never predictable and his career is living proof that one gifted filmmaker can impact our culture again and again. I can't wait for the projects that we're working on together to premiere on HBO Max."
"From Behind the Candelabra, to The Knick and Mosaic, we know first-hand that Steven Soderbergh's creative genius knows no bounds," said Casey Bloys, President, HBO Programming. "An indefatigable innovator, we couldn't be more excited to continue our relationship with Steven and provide a home for his future projects."
The deal was brokered by Michael Sugar of Sugar 23 and Jamie Feldman of LGNAFC (Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, Feldman & Clark).
Steven Soderbergh Biography:
Steven Soderbergh is a writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor. He most recently directed the films The Laundromat and High Flying Bird, both of which debuted on Netflix in 2019. He earned the Academy Award in 2000 for directing Traffic, the same year he was nominated for Erin Brockovich. Soderbergh earlier gained an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for sex, lies, and videotape, his feature film directorial debut. The film also won the Palme d'Or at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival.
Among his other credits are the HBO limited series Mosaic, the television series The Knick for Cinemax, and the films Unsane, Logan Lucky, Side Effects, Magic Mike, Haywire, Contagion, And Everything is Going Fine, The Girlfriend Experience, The Informant!, Che, the Ocean's trilogy, The Good German, Bubble, Equilibrium, Solaris, Full Frontal, The Limey, Out of Sight, Gray's Anatomy, Schizopolis, The Underneath, King of the Hill and Kafka. His television film Behind the Candelabra, for which he won a 2013 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing, debuted on HBO in May of that year.
In 2009, he created and directed the play Tot Mom for the Sydney Theatre Company. While in Sydney he also directed the film The Last Time I Saw Michael Gregg. In April of 2014, he directed the world premiere of Scott Burns' play The Library at New York's Public Theater.
About HBO Max
HBO Max is WarnerMedia's direct-to-consumer offering debuting in spring 2020. With 10,000 hours of curated premium content anticipated at launch, HBO Max will offer powerhouse programming for everyone in the home, bringing together HBO, a robust slate of new original series, key third-party licensed programs and movies, and fan favorites from WarnerMedia's rich library including Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes and more. Sign up for updates at HBOMax.com.
About HBO
HBO(R) is one of the most respected and innovative entertainment brands in the world, serving iconic, award-winning programming to 140 million subscribers globally. A subsidiary of WarnerMedia, HBO is the world's most successful pay TV service with an extensive array of programming that includes some of the most notable titles to be on television, including drama series Succession(R), Watchmen(R), Westworld(R), Big Little Lies(R), Game of Thrones(R), The Sopranos(R), Band of Brothers(R) and The Wire(R), as well as comedy series Barry(R), Insecure(R) and Sex and the City(R). In the United States, HBO(R) and sister network Cinemax(R) are available across multiple platforms including HBO On Demand(R), Cinemax On Demand(R), HBO GO(R) and MAX GO(R), as well as HBO NOW(R). Internationally, HBO branded services, including television networks and the standalone streaming product HBO GO(R), are available in more than 70 countries across Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. HBO and Cinemax programming is also sold into more than 150 countries worldwide.
About WarnerMedia
WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content from a diverse array of talented storytellers and journalists to global audiences through its consumer brands including: HBO, HBO Now, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and others. WarnerMedia is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).
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