Annapurna Television
President: Sue Naegal
Untitled Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich Project (TV) Angela Robinson and Alex Kondrake 2017
Coen Brothers to Write and Direct Their First-Ever TV Series, ‘Buster Scruggs’ | Variety | January 10, 2017
Joel and Ethan Coen are the latest auteurs moving into television, with a new event anthology set in the Old West.
Annapurna Television is partnering with the Coen brothers on a limited series Western called “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” Sources tell Variety that Annapurna intends to pursue an innovative approach that could combine television and theatrical.
Joel and Ethan Coen wrote the script from an original idea and will direct the project.
The Coens will produce “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” through their Mike Zoss Productions label. Megan Ellison and Annapurna Television’s president of television, Sue Naegle, will serve as executive producers.
“We are very excited to be working with Megan and Sue on this project,” the Coen brothers said in a statement to Variety.
It’s still unclear how theatrical distribution could play a part in the project, but the intent is to shoot “Buster Scruggs” as a miniseries. According to sources, the scope of the project seemed too challenging to be covered in one feature film.
The idea is similar to Imagine Entertainment’s adaptation of the “The Dark Tower” series. Imagine partners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard had planned to do something over both theatrical and television, but ended up sticking with one feature film, which Sony will release later this year.
Plot details of “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” are unknown, though it will intertwine six different story lines. The brothers are no strangers to the genre, with “True Grit” and “No Country for Old Men” on their resume.
The brothers join a list of elite directors who have crossed over to television to further develop stories that could not make it to the big screen. Among many others, David O. Russell is currently working on a series for Amazon starring Julianne Moore and Robert De Niro, and J.J. Abrams is writing and directing a limited series with Meryl Streep that is currently being shopped.
The Coens most recently wrote and directed “Hail, Caesar!” and also penned the script for George Clooney’s next directorial effort, “Suburbicon.” They are repped by UTA.
After making a mark in the film industry, Annapurna is now making strides in television and is in pre-production on a limited series adaptation of the novel “Today Will Be Different” by Maria Semple, with Julia Roberts attached to star.
Annapurna Pictures has launched Annapurna Television, a production that will be led by former HBO president of entertainment Sue Naegle. She recently ended a production deal at the network that followed her executive stint.
Annapurna’s new division will focus on building out the label’s TV slate for broadcast, cable and digital platforms. Naegle will run the new enterprise alongside Annapurna founder Megan Ellison and will spearhead Annapurna’s TV production and development, focusing on projects that align with the company’s brand of smart and original programming in collaboration with top creative voices.
Prior to Annapurna, Naegle led her own television and film production company, Naegle Ink, where she serves as an EP on Robert Kirkman’s Cinemax series Outcast. In addition, Naegle has several projects in development with HBO and other cable networks. Various projects that Naegle Ink has in development will segue to Annapurna, and the label’s SVP Kit Giordano and VP Ali Krug will join Naegle at Annapurna. One particular project that Annapurna is shepherding for Epix centers on the intersecting lives of Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, written by Angela Robinson and Alex Kondracke.
During her run as HBO’s entertainment president, Naegle was instrumental in shepherding such Emmy-winning series as Game of Thrones, Veep and Boardwalk Empire along with True Blood, Tremé, Eastbound & Down, Enlightened and Girls.
“We are thrilled to further expand our television business and continue our commitment to all forms of storytelling,” Ellison said in a statement. “I could not be more excited to have the opportunity to work with and learn from Sue Naegle. She has such a passion and understanding of this medium, and has truly approached it from every angle. As I’ve gotten to know Sue, not only is she brilliant with an astonishing expertise both creatively and for the business, but also, she’s an incredible person to invite into this close-knit group of individuals over here at Annapurna. Her track record speaks for itself and her values could not be more aligned with our goals as a company.”
Said Naegle: “I am so excited to join Annapurna and help spearhead the exciting future of Annapurna Television. Annapurna is a company that has been unwavering in their commitment to building distinctive and bold programming in a time of unprecedented production. Whether I’ve been an agent, network president or producer, defending and nurturing innovative, compelling narratives and aesthetic excellence has been my mission and privilege. I’m so thrilled to find partners like Megan and her incredible team that share the same core philosophy, and I hope that this alliance will yield indelible television shows that reflect and challenge our culture.”