New Series to Explore Making of Last Tango in Paris

CBS Studios and Stampede Ventures are collaborating on the limited series Tango, which examines the events surrounding the making of the 1973 feature film Last Tango in Paris.

Set in Italy, France and the U.S., the series will span the 18 months before, during and after the production of Italian auteur Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris and explore questions of identity, fame and artistic ambition. It will be told through the lens of those at the center of the events: Maria Schneider, Marlon Brando and Bernardo Bertolucci.

Jeremy Miller and Daniel Cohn (Is This Legal, The Fall) are writers on the project. Lisa Brühlmann (Killing Eve, The Girl Before) and José Padilha (Narcos, Elite Squad) are attached to co-direct the series, with Greg Silverman and JP Sarni of Stampede Ventures to executive produce. Meghan Lyvers, senior VP of international co-productions and development at CBS Studios, will shepherd the project for the studio.

Under their international first-look agreement, CBS Studios and Stampede Ventures will be taking the series to market in early 2022.

Brühlmann said: “When José and Stampede approached me, I was instantly taken by the project and the chance to look closer at one of the biggest scandals of our industry’s history—despite it not being treated as such at the time. The opportunity to dive into that world, into all these fascinating characters, and especially the possibility of giving Maria Schneider a voice, is really exciting.”

Padilha added: “Tango tells the story of two men abusing a young and inexperienced woman, not for sex, but for the sake of art. They did it on camera, and the resulting scene made it into a major feature film, acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. The director and the actors basked in success, while Maria’s pain was neglected. I’m thrilled to explore a story about the ethics of art, an important but often neglected subject matter, in partnership with director Lisa Brühlmann.”