Now here’s a TV reboot we can get behind: HBO is bringing back its fantastic series, Project Greenlight, to television. The docu-reality series’ return, which, for three seasons (one on Bravo) chronicled the filmmaking process of one first-time director, was announced by the president of HBO Programming, Michael Lombardo. And not only that, but it’s managed to cobble together 2/3 of the original team for the series, executive producers/Hollywood’s favorite best friends, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.
“Project Greenlight was ahead of its time,” said Affleck in the press release. “Now that technology has caught up to the concept, we thought it was a perfect time to bring it back. A whole new generation of filmmakers has grown up sharing everything, and the next big director could be just an upload away. It is really great having Project Greenlight back at HBO.”
The series won acclaim during its short tenure on TV, and even helped in establishing the careers of folks like Shia LaBeouf and Emile Hirsch. Of that, Damon stated, “Project Greenlight works â careers have been launched and sustained as a direct result of this contest. Pete Jones, John Gulager, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan are just a few of the PGL alums whoâve gone on to do great things in Hollywood, and Ben and I are really proud of that.”
“This unique show offers a fascinating look inside moviemaking that is unlike anything else on TV,” explained Lombardo. And he’s right. Following the whole of a film project â from finding a director, to casting, to filming, and even releasing the finished project, Project Greenlight took a hard look at the challenges that face its first-time director in addition to the myriad stipulations that come along with making a Hollywood production.
For folks out there wondering about the logistics, the series begins with a digital competition component to find the aforementioned first-timer, and follows them from pre-production to post. The script, chosen by the Hollywood bigwigs at the helm â including Adaptive Studios’ Marc Joubert, TJ Barrack, Perrin Chiles, and Marshall Lewy, and Miramax’s Zanne Devine â has not been announced but will no doubt serve as a backdrop to all of the on-set political machinations and a cast and crew that are far more experienced than the director at the helm of it all, making for fascinating and compelling television. You’ve got some serious competition comin’ for you, Starz’s The Chair.
Are you looking forward to the return of Project Greenlight? Let us know in the comments.
Yesssssssssssssss!