FX Orders The Untitled ‘Fosse/Verdon’ Limited Series

Starring Award-Winning Actors Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams From Award-Winning Producers Thomas Kail, Steven Levenson and Lin-Manuel Miranda Who All Are Executive Producers; Nicole Fosse Serves As Co-Executive Producer

Premiere Episode Written By Steven Levenson and Directed by Thomas Kail Based on Fosse, a Biography Written by Sam Wasson

Eight Episode Limited Series Produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FXP Begins Production in the Fall and Debuts in 2019

 

LOS ANGELES, July 24, 2018 – FX has ordered the untitled ‘Fosse/Verdon’ project, an eight episode limited series from award-winning producers Thomas Kail, Steven Levenson and Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Academy Award^® winner Sam Rockwell and four-time Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams, it was announced today by Nick Grad and Eric Schrier, the Presidents of Original Programming for FX Networks and FX Productions.

Based on Fosse, the biography written by Sam Wasson, this eight-part limited series tells the story of the singular romantic and creative partnership between Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. He was a visionary filmmaker and one of theater’s most influential choreographers and directors, she was the greatest Broadway dancer of all time. Together they changed the face of American entertainment – at a perilous cost. Featuring Fosse’s choreography, the series explores the hidden corners of show business, the price of pursuing greatness, and the suffering inflicted in the name of art.

“We are over the moon about this dream team we’ve assembled for this incredible series,” said Grad. “Tommy, Steven, and Lin are the perfect team to tell the story of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, and we’re so thrilled to have Sam and Michelle playing these iconic roles.”

Kail, Levenson, Miranda, Rockwell, Williams and George Stelzner are Executive Producers of the eight episode limited series that is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions. Levenson, who will serve as showrunner, wrote the premiere episode which will be directed by Kail. Actress, dancer and producer Nicole Fosse, and daughter of Fosse and Verdon, serves as Co-Executive Producer and oversees The Verdon Fosse Legacy. Co-Producer Andy Blankenbuehler is the Choreographer. Production of the series begins in the fall with series debut schedule for 2019.

Kail, Levenson and Miranda said, “Bob Fosse ignited a revolution in American dance, theater, and film. But, in contrast to the well-worn myth of the visionary artist working in solitude, Fosse’s work would not have been possible without Gwen Verdon, the woman who helped to mold his style – and make him a star. We are honored to work with the incredible team at FX and Fox 21, and these two extraordinary actors, to tell the story of this remarkable couple, and the complicated, fascinating relationship between them.”

Nicole Fosse added, “My mother and father have one of the greatest love stories ever known. They were extremely complex people with an indestructible bond, loyalty, and trust that endured both fantasy and reality. Finally, we have a creative team with the talent and wisdom to tell the story.”

Bert Salke, President of Fox 21 Television Studios, said, “Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon’s story is one of a fascinating, passionate love affair that gave birth to some truly remarkable cultural achievements, and to this day it has been largely untold. In the capable hands of Steven, Tommy and Lin, with the vital creative input and imprimatur of their only daughter Nicole, this series is going to be a compelling look at these two icons as portrayed by the enormously talented Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams. We’re very excited.”

Since the creation of the Limited Series category by the Television Academy in 2012, FX has dominated in the category, scoring 204 Emmy Award^® nominations and winning 34 Emmys with universally acclaimed shows including American Horror Storyanthology, Fargo, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson and Feud: Bette and Joan. FX has received the most Emmy nominations of any network or streaming service in the Limited Series category for seven consecutive years, and this yearAmerican Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace received the most nominations of any Limited Series with 18.

Sam Rockwell won the Academy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Critics Choice, and Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor this year for his performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri for his brilliant portrayal of Officer Dixon, a bad cop who stumbles towards redemption as he tries to help a woman avenge her daughter’s tragic murder. Upcoming, he stars opposite Christian Bale and Amy Adams for director Adam McKay in Backseat and also in The Best of Enemies opposite Taraji P. Henson. Rockwell most recently wrapped production on Jojo Rabbit opposite Scarlett Johansson for director Taika Waititi for Fox Searchlight. Rockwell is known for his standout performances in an array of noteworthy films, including George Clooney’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which he received a Silver Berlin Bear Award for Best Actor at the 2003 Berlin International Film Festival; Ridley Scott’s Matchstick Men; and Seven Psychopaths opposite Woody Harrelson, Colin Farrell and Christopher Walken, which earned him a 2013 Film Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Male. This was followed with a 2014 Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy from his heartfelt performance in Nat Faxon and Jim Rash’s coming of age comedy The Way, Way Back. Rockwell has also appeared in several critically acclaimed films including Ron Howard’s Academy Award nominated film Frost/Nixon opposite Frank Langella and Michael Sheen; Duncan Jones’s Moon; Andrew Dominik’s The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford alongside Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck; as well as Frank Darabont’s Academy Award nominated drama The Green Mile opposite Tom Hanks. Rockwell is represented by The Gersh Agency and Untitled Entertainment.

Michelle Williams‘ performances have established her as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after and respected actors, earning her four Academy Award® nominations, five Golden Globe nominations and one win, and a Tony Award nomination. She notably earned Academy Award nominations for her work in Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain, Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine, Simon Curtis’ My Week with Marilyn, (which also earned a Golden Globe win) and Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea. Williams is currently in production on Bart Freundlich’s After the Wedding in which she stars alongside Julianne Moore. This October, she will star opposite Tom Hardy in the highly-anticipated Marvel film Venom, distributed by Sony Pictures. She was last seen in Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World (for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination), and opposite Hugh Jackman in inThe Greatest Showman, which became an international box-office smash. Some other film credits include Todd Haynes’Wonderstruck, Kelly Reichardt’s Wendy And Lucy, Meek’s Cutoff, and Certain Women, Martin Scorcese’s Shutter Island, Sam Raimi’s Oz: The Great and Powerful, Charlie Kaufman’s Synecdoche, New York, Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There, and Wim Wenders’Land of Plenty. On television, Williams is most recognized for playing Jen Lindley on WB’s hit television series Dawson’s Creek. On stage, Williams earned a Tony Award nomination for her work in David Harrower’s Olivier Award-winning drama Blackbirdopposite Jeff Daniels with Joe Mantello directing and Scott Rudin producing. She made her Broadway debut as “Sally Bowles” in Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Cabaret. Williams is an avid proponent of equity and a founding signatory of the Time’s Up movement. Williams is represented by WME, Brillstein Entertainment and Bloom, Hergott, Diemer, Rosenthal, LaViolette, Feldman, Schenkman & Goodman

Thomas Kail is a director and producer, and he directed the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musicals In the Heights and Hamilton, for which he received the Drama Desk Award and Tony Award^® for Best Director of a Musical. He also directed the Emmy Award winning special Grease Live! for FOX. He is represented by WME.

Writer Steven Levenson won the 2017 Tony Award^® for Best Book of a Musical for the acclaimed Broadway hit Dear Evan Hansen. His television credits include Showtime’s acclaimed drama Masters of Sex and the limited series Wayward Pines for FOX. He is represented by WME.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning composer, lyricist, playwright and performer. He is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony-winning Hamilton and In the Heights. His additional Broadway credits include Bring It On: The Musical (co-composer/co-lyricist, Tony nomination for Best Musical), and West Side Story (2009 revival, Spanish translations). A 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award recipient, Miranda composed songs for Disney’s Moana (2017 Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song; 2018 Grammy Award). TV/Film credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm(2018 Emmy nomination, Guest Actor), Saturday Night Live (2017 Emmy nomination, Guest Actor), Sesame Street, The Electric Company, House, How I Met Your Mother, DuckTales, 200 Cartas, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and Disney’s upcoming 2018 holiday release, Mary Poppins Returns. In addition to his work as an artist, Miranda has worked with the Hispanic Federation since Hurricane Maria to support the rebuilding of Puerto Rico and most recently announced the launch of the Flamboyan Arts Fund to provide grants for artists and cultural institutions and programs on the island. He is represented by WME.

About FX
FX is the flagship general entertainment basic cable channel of FX Networks, a business unit of 21st Century Fox. Launched in June of 1994, FX is carried in 89 million homes. The diverse schedule features a growing roster of critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit dramas series, including Taboo, Legion, Snowfall, Trust and the upcoming Mayans M.C. and Mr Inbetween; the critically-acclaimed limited series American Horror Story, Fargo, American Crime Story and FEUD; acclaimed hit comedy series including Atlanta, Baskets and Better Things, and the upcoming What We Do in the Shadows; the dance musical series Pose, and the upcoming docuseries The Weekly with The New York Times. FX is the former home of the critically-acclaimed and award-winning hit drama series The Shield, Nip/Tuck, Rescue Me, Damages, Sons of Anarchy, Justified and The Americans. The network’s library of acquired box-office hit movies is unmatched by any ad-supported television network.

About Fox 21 Television Studios
Fox 21 Television Studios is a production unit housed within Fox Television Group devoted to making creatively ambitious scripted and unscripted series for all distribution platforms. Fox 21 Television Studios is responsible for the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning sensation from Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (with FX Productions) as well as its follow-up The Assassination of Gianni Versace; the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning Homeland, starring Claire Danes and Mandy Patinkin; the critically acclaimed The Americans (with FX Productions) starring Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell; Queen of the South, executive produced by David T. Friendly and Natalie Chaidez; Pose from Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall and Sherry Marsh, with Steven Canals as co-executive producer, and Janet Mock, Our Lady J and Erica Kay as producers; the Emmy-nominatedGenius: Einstein, its follow-up Genius: Picasso and the upcoming installment Genius: Mary Shelley; and the upcoming Kurt Sutter and Elgin James series Mayans M.C., the follow-up to the blockbuster Sons of Anarchy.

About FX Productions
FX Productions (FXP) produces FX’s acclaimed and award-winning comedy series Atlanta, Baskets and Better Things; the drama seriesSnowfall and Trust; and the FXX comedy series It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Archer, You’re the Worst and the upcoming What We Do in the Shadows. FXP co-produces the drama series Legion, Taboo and the upcoming Mayans M.C. and Mr Inbetween; the limited series Fargoand American Crime Story; and the dance musical series Pose. In 2017, FX Networks series produced or co-produced by FXP received 32 Emmy^® Award nominations, after having won 16 Emmys the previous year, including Outstanding Limited Series (The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story) and Outstanding Animated Program (Archer).

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