Oliver Stone Preps Original Series for EPIX

NEW YORK: Oliver Stone and author and screenwriter Bruce Wagner have entered into a development deal with the premium channel EPIX, kicking off with a show based on the novel Still Holding.

The one-hour drama series based on Wagner’s novel will explore the colliding worlds of three disparate people in Los Angeles. Stone and Wagner, who previously collaborated on the mini-series Wild Palms, will serve as executive producers.

"I’m interested in the possibilities in television," Stone said of the development deal. "When a company like EPIX comes along, it’s a chance to break new ground. They want to make their mark. They want to entertain and provoke; they don’t want their drama or comedy watered down. The team at EPIX showed early on they could provide the supportive environment and creative freedom necessary to recognize the vision Bruce and I have for Still Holding. EPIX has the two vital organs that are essential to all human endeavors: guts and heart."

Mark Greenberg,the president and CEO of EPIX, added: “EPIX offers a unique canvas for talent to fully realize their creative vision across multiple screens on television and online. We’re thrilled that filmmakers and writers have flocked to our network with bold, daring concepts—they truly get what we’re trying to do. To have Oliver and Bruce come to us for his first scripted drama is a validation of what we are trying to do at EPIX—backing our talent and giving them the creative freedom they deserve.”

EPIX’s development slate also includes Tough Trade, a one-hour drama pilot executive produced by Jenji Kohan (Weeds), Sean Furst and Bryan Furst, set in Nashville; and the half-hour single-camera comedy iCon from Larry Charles (Seinfeld, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Media Rights Capital (MRC).