SHOWTIME^® ORDERS ESPIONAGE POLITICAL THRILLER THE DEPARTMENT (W/T)
TO BE DIRECTED BY TWO-TIME OSCAR^® WINNER GEORGE CLOONEY

Clooney and Grant Heslov Will Also Executive Produce Through Their Smokehouse Pictures;

MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios To Produce

Series Is Based on the Critically Acclaimed Hit French Drama

Le Bureau des Legendes, One of the Most-Watched Global TV Series

LOS ANGELES – February 6, 2023 – SHOWTIME has placed a straight-to-series order for THE DEPARTMENT (w/t)* to be directed by George Clooney. Clooney and Grant Heslov will executive produce through their Smokehouse Pictures with MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios set to produce. *W/T is Working Title

“THE DEPARTMENT, based on the riveting and brilliant series The Bureau, will follow in the great tradition of HOMELAND, one of the most successful and brand-defining shows at SHOWTIME,” said Chris McCarthy, President/CEO, Showtime and Paramount Media. “Just as HOMELAND elevated global espionage to new heights, THE DEPARTMENT will take viewers even deeper into a world of intrigue and subterfuge with complicated characters who struggle with their own demons as they fight existential threats to the nation and the world.”

Le Bureau centers on the daily life and missions of agents within France’s principal external security service. It focuses on the “Bureau of Legends,” responsible for training and handling deep-cover agents on long-term missions in areas with French interests. Living under false identities for years, these agents’ missions are to identify and recruit good intelligence sources.

Le Bureau Des Legendes (The Bureau) wascreated by Eric Rochant and is a CANAL+ Creation Originale series produced by TOP – The Originals Productions (Alex Berger, Eric Rochant) and Federation Studios (Pascal Breton). Production is slated to start later this year.

“We are delighted to extend The Bureau’s DNA through THE DEPARTMENT for SHOWTIME with our friends at MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios,” said Alex Berger, President and Executive Producer at The Originals Productions (TOP). “The Originals Productions (TOP), Federation and Paramount are taking our franchise to the next level, making a new high-stake international espionage show set today in a very complex geopolitical environment.”

Added Guillaume Pommier, Co-Head of Distribution at Federation: “We couldn’t dream of a better partner home than SHOWTIME to adapt The Bureau. They share with us the passion, the vision and the ambition for this amazing show, combined with their strong premium global network which will bring THE DEPARTMENT to the world.”

“We are thrilled to be partnering with George & Grant on this amazing project,” said David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios.  Paramount+/Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios has been an incredible home to so many of our projects, and we are excited to once again work alongside Chris McCarthy, Keith Cox, Nina Diaz and their incredible teams.”

Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, THE DEPARTMENT will be executive produced by Keith Cox and Nina L. Diaz of MTVE Studios; David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, David Hutkin and Bob Yari of 101 Studios (Yellowstone); Alex Berger for The Originals Productions; and Ashley Stern and Pascal Breton for Federation Studios/Federation Entertainment of America.

Showtime

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount, owns and operates the premium service SHOWTIME^®, which features critically acclaimed original series, provocative documentaries, box-office hit films, comedy and music specials and hard-hitting sports. SHOWTIME is available as a stand-alone streaming service across all major streaming devices and Showtime.com, as well as via cable, DBS, telco and streaming video providers. SNI also operates the premium services THE MOVIE CHANNEL and FLIX^®, as well as on demand versions of all three brands. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV^®. For more information, go to www.SHO.com. 

MTV Entertainment Studios

MTV Entertainment Studios produces 120+ series annually, including some of today’s biggest hits such as Yellowstone, Emily in Paris, 1923, 1883, George and Tammy, South Park, Tulsa King, The Daily Show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Challenge and Jersey Shore, to name a few, as well as award-winning documentaries through its acclaimed MTV Documentary Films. Visit MTV.com

About 101 Studios

101 Studios is a global entertainment company dedicated to the acquisition, financing, development, production and distribution of high-caliber, creator-driven storytelling. 101 empowers content creators through first-class collaboration and innovation. On the television side, 101 produces Taylor Sheridan’s Emmy nominated series “Yellowstone,” “Mayor of Kingstown,” “1883” and the upcoming “George & Tammy,” “Tulsa King,” “Lioness” and “Bass Reeves.” 101 Studios oversees and manages the newly formed Sports Illustrated Studios, a content platform based on the most compelling stories, characters and moments in sports past, present and future.

Upcoming projects include “Paradise Found” based on the true story of high school football coach Rick Prinz; a docuseries about the sexual abuse and cover-up at Ohio State University, co-produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures; and the docuseries “Covers,” a behind-the-scenes look at Sports Illustrated’s top cover stories of all time. SI Studios has also exclusively partnered with iHeartMedia to create and distribute original podcasts through the iHeartPodcast network. On the film side, past releases include “The Current War: Director’s Cut,” the Sundance Audience award winner “Burden” as well as the family comedy “The War with Grandpa.”

– – – – – – – – – – – –

Source: ©2023 Showtime Networks, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount. All Rights Reserved.