Showtime will no longer be moving forward with four shows — “Gattaca,” “Seasoned,” “Split” and “Sweetness” — TheWrap can confirm.
The decision not to move forward with “Gattaca” came down to financials, a source familiar with the matter told TheWrap. At present, Showtime is interested in investing more in IP the network owns versus leased IP.
All projects will have the opportunity to be shopped elsewhere.
Little is known about the four projects, which were in development. Alex Gansa was announced to showrun and executive produce “Gattaca,” the TV adaptation of the 1997 sci-fi movie, with Gansa’s partner Howard Gordon executive producing. “Seasoned” was a scripted comedy from Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody that is based on their real-life relationship. “Sweetness” came from writer, director and producer Nick Stoller and Oscar-winner Emerald Fennell and has been described as a “female-driven anthology project.” Even less is known about “Split.”
“The Chi” is set to return on August 4, and “Billions will return August 11. “Fellow Travelers” and “The Curse” are set to premiere sometime in the fall.
The announcement comes days after the Paramount+ with Showtime combination and the streamer’s removal of several original series from its platform. Last Friday, Paramount+ cancelled and removed “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies,” “Star Trek: Prodigy,” “The Game” and “Queen of the Universe” from its library. All four were Paramount+ originals, and three of them — “Star Trek: Prodigy,” “Grease” and “The Game” — were given the option to be shopped.
Financial concerns and discoverability on the service played a role in the streamer removing those specific titles. The move happened ahead of the launch of Paramount+ with Showtime on Tuesday. The company will announce the financial impact of these changes during a later earnings call.
Paramount+ is the latest streamer to remove its original content, but it’s certainly not the first to do so. Ahead of the launch of Max, HBO Max removed several originals, and Disney+ has announced plans to do the same.
