Premium TV network EPIX announced today that it is adding original, scripted series to its programming slate, beginning with series from its joint-venture studio partners Paramount, Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Two of the series will begin production this fall for premiere autumn 2016. The series, “Graves” from Lionsgate Television and “Berlin Station” from Paramount Television, mark the first original series that will appear on EPIX across its channels, EPIX On Demand, EPIX.com and TV Everywhere platforms with its distribution partners. A third original series from MGM will be announced in the near future.
“’Graves’ is a perfect vehicle to usher EPIX into premium scripted programming, and we look forward to delivering high end quality content for years to come”
Commenting on the original series, Mark Greenberg, President and CEO of EPIX said, “Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM are great partners, investors and supporters of our network and are proven leaders in television entertainment. Tapping into the creative talents of these entertainment power-houses to deliver this kind of compelling programming is exactly what we had envisioned when we created this joint-venture and launched the channel. Our focus was on business success and profitability first and having established that firm business foundation, we are now in a position to launch our original series with these two great shows from Lionsgate and Paramount and a third on the way from MGM.”
Added Jocelyn Diaz, Executive Vice President for Original Programming, “Original series provide a platform to build our brand and distinguish our offering. We are proud of the level of quality and sophistication of these projects and are thrilled to announce them today with our partners.”
“Berlin Station” is an hour-long, 10-part espionage drama series that will be produced in partnership with Paramount Television. Academy Award nominee Michaël Roskam (“Bullhead,” “The Drop”) will executive produce the straight-to-series order and is set to direct the first two episodes. American spy novelist Olen Steinhauer (The Cairo Affair, All The Old Knives) will write and executive produce the series. Academy Award winner Eric Roth (“House of Cards,” “The Insider,” “Munich”) and Anonymous Content (“True Detective,” “The Knick”) will also serve as executive producers.
“Olen is among the most respected espionage voices of our time, and Michael has a seasoned and distinct command of noir. Together, they make the ideal creative team to collaborate with on this sophisticated and gritty modern day spy thriller,” said Amy Powell, President, Paramount Television. “We also take great pride in partnering with the distinguished and prolific storyteller Eric Roth and the talented team at EPIX on developing an inspired original series that is reflective of the network’s commitment to high quality entertainment.”
“Berlin Station” follows Daniel Meyer, a newly anointed case officer who has arrived at the CIA foreign station in Berlin, Germany. It with a clandestine mission: to uncover the source of a leak who has supplied information to a now-famous whistleblower named “Thomas Shaw.” Guided by jaded veteran Hector DeJean, Daniel learns to contend with the rough-and-tumble world of the field agent—agent-running, deception, the dangers and moral compromises. As he dives deeper into the German capital’s hall of mirrors and uncovers the threads of a conspiracy that leads back to Washington, Daniel wonders: Can anyone ever be the same after a posting to Berlin?
Michaël Roskum is represented by Anonymous Content’s Keith Redmon and Luke Rivett, and UTA and attorney Alan Wertheimer. Olen Steinhauer is represented by Jill Gillett and Sylvie Rabineau at RWSG. Steve Golin, Kerry Kohansky-Roberts, Keith Redmon and Luke Rivett from Anonymous Content will also be executive producers of the series.
“Graves” is a single camera, half-hour comedy starring Oscar-nominated Nick Nolte as a former President of the United States. Twenty years after his presidency, former President Richard Graves has the epiphany that his policies have damaged the country for decades and so, with his young assistant, he goes on a Don Quixote-like journey to right his administration’s wrongs just as his wife, the former First Lady, decides to follow her own political ambitions.
The 10-episode, straight-to-series order will be produced in partnership with Lionsgate TV. Joshua Michael Stern (Swing Vote) created the project and will write, direct and executive produce the series. Oscar-winning producer Greg Shapiro (The Hurt Locker) will also be an executive producer.
“‘Graves’ is a perfect vehicle to usher EPIX into premium scripted programming, and we look forward to delivering high end quality content for years to come,” said Kevin Beggs, Chairman, Lionsgate Television Group. “‘Graves’ is a provocative comedy featuring a terrific script from writer/director Joshua Michael Stern, a consummate producer in Greg Shapiro and the brilliant and charismatic Nick Nolte as a former U.S. President whose conscience catches up with him with tragic and comic results. It is perfectly timed to premiere in an election year and marks a new chapter in the successful evolution of EPIX as a leading premium cable platform.”
Nick Nolte is represented by CAA and Jackoway Tyerman. Joshua Michael Stern is represented by Paradigm and AJ Brandenstein at Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern, LLP. Greg Shapiro is represented by Darren Trattner at Jackoway Tyerman.
EPIX and MGM are finalizing an agreement on an original series that will add to the network’s programming line-up. Specific details will be announced in the near future.
“We are working with EPIX to develop our next exciting series and look forward to bringing our signature style and storytelling to EPIX soon,” said Roma Khanna, President of MGM Television Group and Digital. “From Vikings to Fargo, MGM Television is the force behind some of the most exciting and award-winning series currently on television.”
In addition to the new scripted series, EPIX will continue to present original documentaries and docu-series (Deep Web, NHL Road to the Winter Classic and Stadium Series), comedy specials (Russell Brand, Jim Norton, Jim Breuer, Lisa Lampanelli) and music events (Katy Perry: Prismatic Tour), along with new movies (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, Selma, Interstellar)and thousands of titles from partner studios and other sources.
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr., affectionately known as Jr NTR, has consistently enthralled audiences with his dynamic performances and versatile acting prowess. Following the successful release of “Devara: Part 1” on September 27, 2024, fans are eagerly anticipating his forthcoming projects. Here’s an overview of what’s next for this action superstar.
1. Devara: Part 2
After the resounding success of “Devara: Part 1,” which grossed over ₹466 crore globally, the sequel is highly anticipated. Director Koratala Siva has hinted that “Devara: Part 2” will be even more intense, stating that if Part 1 showcased 10% of Jr NTR’s capabilities, Part 2 will unveil the remaining 90%. Filming is slated to commence in the first half of 2026, with a targeted release by the end of that year.
2. War 2
Expanding his horizons, Jr NTR is set to make his Hindi film debut with “War 2,” directed by Ayan Mukerji. This sequel to the 2019 blockbuster “War” will see him sharing screen space with Hrithik Roshan and Kiara Advani. The film is part of the YRF Spy Universe and is scheduled for release on August 14, 2025, coinciding with the Indian Independence Day weekend.
3. NTR 31 (Tentative Title: Dragon)
In collaboration with acclaimed director Prashanth Neel, Jr NTR will star in a period drama tentatively titled “Dragon.” The film is set to delve into themes of immigration and is expected to be one of the most expensive projects for both the actor and the director. The movie is slated for a grand release on January 9, 2026.
Why Jr NTR is the Action Hero Everyone Wants to See
Jr NTR’s appeal as an action hero stems from his ability to seamlessly blend intense physicality with deep emotional resonance. His performances are characterized by a compelling screen presence, dynamic energy, and a remarkable ability to connect with audiences across diverse roles. This unique combination of skills has solidified his status as a leading figure in Indian cinema, making him the action hero everyone wants to see.
With a lineup of diverse and high-profile projects, Jr NTR continues to push cinematic boundaries and captivate audiences worldwide. His dedication to his craft and ability to reinvent himself with each role ensure that fans have much to look forward to in the coming years.
Headed to a wilderness retreat of a wealthy pharmaceutical CEO to hopefully land a lucrative job, widower Elliot and his reluctant daughter Ridley manage to have a car accident with a heretofore-thought creature out of legend, and hijinks ensue!
Oh this is an absolute gem of a movie y’all, brought to you by the genius minds of film production company A24, a delightful blend of horror and campy, almost idiotic, comedy. Make sure your seatbelt is buckled and let’s dive into this!
So Ridley (Jenna Ortega) is you typical teenager, angsty and missing her passed-on mother, full of acne troubles and secretly vaping while her dad Elliot (Paul Rudd) ignores her for much more than appearance purposes, while he schmoozes his way into the good graces of the family they’re going to stay with. Elliot ignores everything but his continued greed, for both money and continuous stability for him and Ridley, really, he swears, so when the misty mountains cause their electronics to go haywire and Elliot’s busy with that crisis, he doesn’t notice until it’s too late and BAM. You’ve hit an actual unicorn with your car.
Like most girls, Ridley can’t help but be fascinated by the poor mythical horse-like creature, and of course she reaches out to grasp the glowing horn, filling her head full of magic and her eyes full of stars and the cosmos, while Elliot has a much more, let’s say visceral, reaction. But rather than calling, I dunno, some sort of wildlife preserve or the cops or even considering burying the unfortunate horned horse, no, the baby is loaded like a downed stag into the back of Elliott’s car and they hurry on to the CEO’s wilderness retreat.
It makes sense that the changes to Ridley’s appearance are the first thing that allows O’Dell (Richard E. Grant) and his greedy, grasping family to understand that the body of the unicorn has healing properties. Wife Belinda (Tea Leoni) is your typical utterly vapid socialite who helps the poor downtrodden of whatever’s currently popular third world country, not for the do-gooder part of it, but for the optics. And their son Shepard (Will Poulter) is a walking poster boy for the arrogant frat boy type who could never settle on just one thing to be or do, and so he tries them all – archery, photography, mixology, music and various forms of pharmaceuticals, all while sporting these terrible fashion choices in shorts and rambling proudly about his nonexistent accomplishments. Griff (Anthony Carrigan) is the family butler and general verbal punching bag, and let us not forget the unfortunate pair of doctoral research scientists who get called in to examine the unicorn, Dr. Song (Steve Park) and Dr. Bhatia (Sunita Mani).
So we have a family of covetous types who all want to divy the unicorn up and sell its various parts for as much wealth and power as they can get, plus the pair of scientists who are flabbergasted to find themselves dissecting an actual unicorn that, hey, guess what, isn’t actually dead for really-real yet. Elliott’s trying to procure his and Ridley’s slice of the action, though honestly, his lawyerly powers of persuasion seem to be rather lacking in this regard, while Ridley is off doing some actual research on medieval unicorns and what the ancient legends in tapestries had to say about them. You know how the modern genie, with his Arabian lamp and his three wishes with their horrifically ironic consequences, actually stems from the ancient legend of that old monster, the creature born from fire that wants nothing more than to destroy all human life on Earth, the Djinn? Our modern legends and beliefs about unicorns is kinda like that.
So everyone, even our scientists with their experiments and O’Dell supposedly being an experienced animal hunter, seems to have forgotten that a horse is a mammal and therefore, has parents. And while everyone is concerning themselves with what to use the babies’ various parts for, only Ridley seems to have realized, that the babies’ sire and dam are coming for it!
We all know horses are smart, and that humans and horses can form an almost mythical bond, but when a stallion or even a dam’s ire is raised, they can attack and defend just as well as any rampaging beast, and do present a very real and dire threat. And these particular horses, with their shaggy midnight-black coats and hooves the size of monster-truck hubcaps, their fangs and absolute righteous rage at their baby being stolen, not to mention both mom and dad’s inherently magical nature, and those utterly badass war-unicorn horns, are here to wreak utter destruction and death upon the humans that would dare to eat, drink and snort, their baby!
Full of utterly ridiculous fun with human greed and the scarcely-remembered wonder of those magical creatures you heard about as a child, cheer along with the Jurassic Park-like screech of our rampaging parents to save their baby, in Death of a Unicorn, in theaters now!
Upcoming NTR Junior projects
“Death of a Unicorn: A24’s Twisted Fairytale You Won’t Forget”
WonderCon 2025: A Faith Full Dickens Tale & The King of Kings Animated Movie
WonderCon 2025: Fade to Black Interviews
Top 10 Unexpected Movies Where The Bad Guy Wins
