Dear Fanboy Comics Readers:
Is there a certain movie, comic book, TV show, video game, or book that you know backwards, forwards, and upside down with your eyes closed? What would you do if you had the opportunity to become even closer with that one property? Are you ready for your ultimate geek dream to come true?
Well, look no further! AMC announced earlier today that it is moving forward with Geek Out, a new unscripted project that will take the ultimate fanboy or fangirl on an adventure that connects them with their favorite film, comic book, author, actor, athlete, musician, video game, or TV show. The project will be co-hosted by none other than Ernie Cline, the screenwriter of Fanboys and author of the bestselling Ready Player One.
For more information on this developing project, please see AMC’s official press release below.
AMC ANNOUNCES UNSCRIPTED PILOT
“GEEK OUT” (WORKING TITLE)
New York, NY – April 3, 2013 – AMC announced today it is piloting “Geek Out” (working title/wt), an unscripted project that takes the ultimate super-fan of a specific film, comic book, author, actor, athlete, musician, video game, or television series on an adventure that emotionally connects them to their obsession. Ernest Cline, best-selling author, screenwriter and fanboy aficionado is set to be one of the co-hosts. The network is currently casting for the second co-host. Cline will also serve as executive producer with Thinkfactory Media’s (“Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” “Hatfields & McCoys”) Leslie Greif, Adam Freeman, Adam Reed, and Dan Farah (a producer on the upcoming remake of the fanboy cult classic “The Crow”) under his Farah Films banner.
“‘Geek Out’ (w/t) is really a wish fulfillment show that features touching stories with stakes so real to the person involved that the audience will become engrossed in their journey and want to see their dream come true,” said Joel Stillerman, AMC’s EVP of original programming, production and digital content. “Conceptually, (w/t) ‘Geek Out’ is right in AMC’s wheelhouse of appealing to the fanboy community and ultimately creating an indelible moment in one lucky person’s life.”
“Geek Out (w/t) celebrates a different facet of fanboy and fan-girl culture, as we ‘geek out’ at the kind of epic level that usually only occurs at Comic Con,” Ernest Cline added.
“Geek Out” (w/t) will feature Cline and his co-host as they pay it forward by traveling the country and surprising obsessed fans. Whether it be the guy who turned his apartment into an exact replica of the Starship Enterprise, the comic book fan whose body is covered in X-Men tattoos, or the suburban mom whose entire house is overflowing with Twilight memorabilia, it explores why that person is a super-fan and offers the surprise of a lifetime when the fan is given an awesome, otherwise unattainable experience related to their obsession.
Cline first broke into the spotlight when he wrote the cult classic “Fanboys.” The screenplay focused on characters obsessed with all things Star Wars, a passion Cline has proudly enjoyed since childhood. Most recently, his debut novel, “Ready Player One,” a pop-culture and video game love-fest wrapped around a high concept, was a smash hit for Random House. Originally published in hardcover in August 2011, the book quickly landed on several Best of 2011 lists. Cline also found himself ranked #29 on USA Today’s Top 100 People of 2011 List, and largely celebrated as the face of geeks around the world. The paperback edition of Ready Player One went on to be a big hit in 2012, and the worldwide sales and buzz that followed have cemented Ernie’s place as a geek icon. Warner Brothers scooped up the film rights to Ready Player One in a splashy seven figure deal, and the studio is currently developing a movie based on the hit book. Cline’s follow up novel, “Armada” recently scored him seven-figures in advances for domestic and foreign publishing rights. Random House will publish Armada in North America, with a release date expected to be announced later this year. Universal aggressively scooped up the film rights to Armada, and is quickly developing a movie based on Cline’s book.
AMC’s Stillerman, Mary Conlon, VP of non-scripted original programming, Jason Fisher, SVP of production, and Ari Mark and Andie Beckerman, director of development, oversee the development and production for the network’s unscripted series.
Cline is represented by Farah, Paradigm, and Greenberg Glusker.
Thinkfactory is represented by UTA.
For more information, visit AMC’s press website: http://press.amctv.com
About AMC
Whether commemorating favorite films from every genre and decade or creating acclaimed original programming, AMC brings to its audience something deeper, something richer, Something More. The network reigns as the only cable network in history ever to win the Emmy® Award for Outstanding Drama Series four years in a row, and boasts the most-watched drama series in basic cable history with “The Walking Dead.” AMC’s original drama series include “Mad Men,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Walking Dead,” “The Killing” and “Hell on Wheels.” Its newest series, “Low Winter Sun,” premieres this summer. AMC also explores authentic worlds with bold characters through its slate of unscripted original series like “Comic Book Men,” “Small Town Security,” “Talking Dead,” and “Freakshow.” AMC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and its sister networks include IFC, Sundance Channel, and WE tv. AMC is available across all platforms, including on-air, online, on demand and mobile. AMC: Something More.
About Thinkfactory Media
Thinkfactory Media is a full-service production company that creates high-quality entertainment content. Renowned for award-winning productions, the company was the driving force behind the Emmy® and Golden Globe®-nominated hit mini-series Hatfields & McCoys (History), starring Kevin Costner. Its provocative new docu-series Preachers’ Daughters is currently airing on Tuesday nights (Lifetime) and their recently announced series, Marriage Bootcamp: Bridezillas will air this summer (We tv). Currently in production is R&B Divas: Atlanta, starring Grammy Award-winning recording artist Faith Evans, along with a spinoff, R&B Divas: Los Angeles (TV One). Other recent credits include: Prank My Mom (Lifetime), Gene Simmons: Family Jewels (A&E), Sinbad: It’s Just Family (WE tv), Chasing Mummies (History) and Tony Danza: Teach (A&E), among many others. Find out more about Thinkfactory Media and its projects at www.ThinkfactoryMedia.com and follow on Twitter at @TFactoryMedia.
About Farah Films
Producer Dan Farah is about to start pre-production on a reboot of fanboy classic “The Crow” for Relativity, and is producing the adaptation of “Ready Player One” for Warner Brothers, “Armada” for Universal, a television series based on Terry Brooks’ best-selling fantasy books “Shannara”, a Broadway bound stage musical based on the Castle Rock comedy “Honeymoon in Vegas”, and ABC’s “The Guys”, which is designed to be Tony Danza’s return to half hour comedy. Through his Farah Films, Farah has produced big budget action flick Armored for Sony, and critically acclaimed independent films such as Rock The Bells, and Alter Egos.
