EPIX(R) Reimagines Elmore Leonard's Crafty Novel "Get Shorty" for Television

Produced by MGM Television, the Original Series is a Dark Comedy Slated to Start Production Fall 2016

NEW YORK -- Premium TV network EPIX(R) announced today it will go into production on Get Shorty from MGM Television. Created and executive produced by Davey Holmes ("Shameless," "In Treatment," "Damages"), the one hour drama series is a reimagining of Elmore Leonard's 1990 New York Times best-selling novel of the same name. Production on the series is anticipated to begin this fall and air summer 2017.

In Get Shorty, Miles Daly works as muscle for a murderous crime ring in Nevada. For the sake of his daughter, he attempts to change professions and become a movie producer, laundering money through a Hollywood film. But instead of leaving the criminal world behind, he accidentally brings it with him to Los Angeles.

"We're excited to be working with MGM on Get Shorty," said Mark S. Greenberg, President and CEO, EPIX. "I had the pleasure of working with Elmore Leonard early in my career and I am a big fan of his writing. Davey Holmes is a tremendous talent and has created a fantastic new series that is in the spirit of Leonard's unique brand of social satire and strong narrative voice. Get Shorty promises to be yet another example of the type of high-end, premium TV that EPIX is committed to delivering to its subscribers."

"Davey has created a modern-day re-envisioning of Elmore Leonard's timeless cult classic where organized crime and Hollywood collide in very funny ways. We are thrilled to bring these irreverent characters to fans and audiences around the globe with our fantastic partners at EPIX," said Mark Burnett, President, Television and Digital Group, MGM and Steve Stark, President, Television Development and Production, MGM.

MGM, a joint venture partner in EPIX, produced the 1995 movie version of Get Shorty that starred John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, and Danny DeVito and was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Travolta won the Golden Globe(R) Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his portrayal of the lead character Chili Palmer and the film received a Golden Globe Award(R) nomination for Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.

About EPIX

EPIX is a premium entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases and biggest classic film franchises, plus original programming including series, documentaries, comedy and music specials - all available on TV, on demand, online and across devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development and proliferation of "TV Everywhere." It was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and to launch on Xbox, PlayStation(R), Android phones and tablets, and Roku(R) players. EPIX is also available across Chromecast, Apple(R) iPhones(R) and iPads(R), Android TV and more and is the only premium service providing all its programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.

EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc., its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX) and Vine (https://vine.co/EPIX).

About MGM Television

MGM Television is a leading producer and global distributor of premium content for television and digital platforms, with distribution rights to original productions and a robust catalog of television episodes and feature film titles including such premiere entertainment franchises as James Bond, Rocky, Stargate and "The Hobbit" trilogy. Current scripted and unscripted multi-platform projects include "Fargo" (FX); "Vikings" (HISTORY); "The Voice" (NBC); "Survivor" (CBS); "Shark Tank" (ABC); "Beyond the Tank" (ABC);"Celebrity Apprentice"(NBC); "Teen Wolf" (MTV); "500 Questions" (ABC); "The People's Choice Awards" (CBS); "America's Greatest Makers" (INTEL/Turner), "Coupled" (FOX) and "Lucha Underground" (The El Rey Network). Through its finance and distribution entity, Orion TV Productions, the syndicated courtroom series "Lauren Lake's Paternity Court" is currently airing its third season. MGM's television programming regularly airs in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.mgm.com.