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    Starz commits to “Now Apocalypse” comedy series from Gregg Araki, Steven Soderbergh

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1905 Views
    A Feb. 12, 2013 file photo of director Steven Soderbergh at a press conference in Berlin. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
    BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. --

    The Starz network, a Lionsgate company (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B), has greenlit the half-hour comedy series Now Apocalypse created and executive-produced by Gregg Araki (Kaboom, Mysterious Skin).  Araki will co-write and direct all 10 half-hour episodes of the sexy, vibrant and fast-moving series that has a flipside of mythic, dreamlike creepiness.

    This surreal, coming-of-age comedy series follows Ulysses and his friends Carly, Ford and Severine, who are on various quests pursing love, sex and fame. Now Apocalypse explores identity, sexuality and artistry, while navigating the strange and oftentimes bewildering city of Los Angeles.  Between sexual and romantic dating app adventures, Ulysses grows increasingly troubled as foreboding premonitory dreams make him wonder–is some kind of dark and monstrous conspiracy going on, or is he just smoking too much weed? 

    “Gregg brings an incredibly unique and adventurous story to the Starz brand and we cannot wait for the world to meet the bold, sexy and fun characters of Now Apocalypse,” said Carmi Zlotnik, president of programming for Starz.  “It’s exciting to bring diverse and compelling storytelling to the screen as part of Starz’s ongoing programming strategy to provide premium content to reach underserved audiences.”

    “If this isn’t the craziest thing I’ve ever read, it’s tied for first,” said Oscar® and Emmy® Award-winning executive producer Steven Soderbergh (Logan Lucky, The Knick). “We will not be responsible for people’s heads splitting in half when they see it.”

    Executive producing with Araki and Soderbergh is Gregory Jacobs (Magic Mike XXL, Red Oaks). All 10 half-hour episodes are co-written by author and Vogue.com sex columnist, Karley Sciortino, creator and host of Slutever on Viceland.  Sciortino also serves as a consulting producer. 

    Starz retains all domestic multiplatform pay TV and SVOD rights to the series. Lionsgate retains all international and domestic distribution and home entertainment rights.

    SVP of original programming Ken Segna and manager of original programming Kathleen Clifford are the Starz executives in charge of Now Apocalypse.

    Tags:Gregg ArakiNow ApocalypseStarzSteven Soderbergh



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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