MGM+ will be taking the place of cable network/streaming platform Epix in “early 2023” as part of a brand-wide relaunch following Amazon’s $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM in March.
‘We have felt for some time that this is the best service that many people have never heard of,” said Michael Wright, who has been president of Epix since 2017 and will now serve as head of MGM+. “Other than individual shows, the service has never been marketed. Now you have this incredibly powerful, loud name that means something to people. You could spend five years and $100 million trying to launch a new brand, and you wouldn’t have the brand equity that you get with MGM. It’s really something of a gift.”
The network also announced today the following greenlit scripted series will be added to the MGM+ originals lineup:
Hotel Cocaine
This is the story of Roman Compte, Cuban exile, CIA operative, and general manager of the The Mutiny Hotel, the glamorous epicenter of the Miami cocaine scene of late ’70s and early ’80s. Chris Brancato (Narcos, Godfather of Harlem) will serve as showrunner and executive producer for this eight-episode crime thriller from EPIX Studios. Guillermo Navarro (Pan’s Labyrinth) will direct the pilot and also executive produce the series, in addition to Brancato.
Belgravia: The Next Chapter
The series will pick up in 1865, 25 years after the events depicted in the 2020 limited series, which was written by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) and based on his novel of the same name. Developed and written by Helen Edmundson (Dalgliesh, Mary Magdalene), it will tell the love story of Frederick Trenchard, who has grown up as the third Lord Glanville, and his new love interest, Clara Dunn, who is a newcomer to London society. Unaware that his birth was the product of an affair between his mother Susan and the scoundrel John Bellasis, a troubled childhood has left Frederick deeply insecure, which challenges his courtship of and marriage to Clara. The series reunites Carnival’s award-winning creative team – led by Gareth Neame – with Fellowes, who serves as executive producer. Neame, Nigel Marchant and Joanna Strevens are executive producers for Carnival.
The network will also feature acclaimed docuseries, including Emmy-nominated Laurel Canyon, Helter Skelter, My Life as a Rolling Stone, NFL Icons, Blumhouse’s Compendium of Horrors, and Murf the Surf. Adding to this lineup, the network announced today the following greenlit unscripted series orders:
Untitled Amityville Murders Docuseries
This four-part docuseries chronicles the world’s most infamous haunted house tale: the Amityville murders. The project, from B17 Entertainment and executive produced by Lesley Chilcott (Helter Skelter: An American Myth, An Inconvenient Truth), is the first elevated look at every aspect of this wildly layered story about the heinous murder of a family of six that became eclipsed by paranormal controversy. In addition to Chilcott, Blaine Duncan, Brooklyn Hudson, Amanda Raymond, Rhett Bachner, and Brien Meagher serve as executive producers. Jack Riccobono (The Seventh Fire) serves as director and executive producer.
San Francisco Sounds (Working title)
From the team behind the three-time Emmy-nominated documentary Laurel Canyon comes San Francisco Sounds, a two-part documentary series that tracks the history of the San Francisco music scene from 1965 to 1975. Frank Marshall (Laurel Canyon, Mr. A & Mr. M: The Story of A&M Records), Alex Gibney (The Inventor; Crime of the Century), Jeff Pollack (Laurel Canyon, McCartney 3,2,1), Darryl Frank (Laurel Canyon, The Americans, Good Night Oppy), Justin Falvey (Laurel Canyon, The Americans, Good Night Oppy), Stacey Offman (The Line, Kingdom of Silence), Richard Perello (How To Change Your Mind, Totally Under Control), and Alison Ellwood (Laurel Canyon, How to Change Your Mind, The Go-Go’s) are attached as executive producers along with Jeff Jampol (Janis: Little Girl Blue, When You’re Strange: A Film About the Doors). Erin Edeiken and Tess Ranahan serve as producers. Ellwood is also attached to direct along with Anoosh Tertzakian. Jigsaw Productions is producing in association with Amblin Television and The Kennedy/Marshall Company.
The MGM+ service will also provide an expansive library of film titles from MGM and other major Hollywood Studios. The library of titles includes MGM hits No Time to Die, House of Gucci, and Licorice Pizza; beloved franchises like James Bond and the original Rocky and its sequels; as well as fan favorites like Silence of the Lambs, Bull Durham, Platoon, Robocop, Mississippi Burning, The Magnificent Seven, Barbershop, The Pink Panther, In the Heat of the Night, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and The Thomas Crown Affair.
The new brand logo will embody the rich legacy of MGM, while at the same time orienting the brand toward the future. It reimagines the rich, 100-year history of MGM’s classic art-deco typeface in a contemporary and forward-facing fashion. The typography and brighter palette combine the rich legacy of the classic MGM brand with the forward-learning spirit of the next generation streaming service. Imaginary Forces has been brought on to help bring the new MGM+ vision to life.
The new brand logo will embody the rich legacy of MGM, while at the same time orienting the brand toward the future. It reimagines the rich, 100-year history of MGM’s emblematic gold lion and the classic art-deco typeface in a contemporary and forward-facing fashion. The typography and brighter palette combine the rich legacy of the classic MGM brand with the forward-learning spirit of the next generation streaming service. Imaginary Forces has been brought on to bring the new MGM+ vision to life.