Seven, Living acquire MGM’s Teen Wolf

Australian commercial broadcaster Seven Network and UK pay broadcaster Living have acquired MTV’s remake of Michael J Fox movie Teen Wolf after striking a deal with distributor MGM.

The broadcasters have both picked up the show, which is a coproduction between the embattled Hollywood studio MGM and US cable network. The remake was written by Jeff Davis, creator of Criminal Minds, and the pilot was directed by Highlander’s Russell Mulcahy, while Lost Marbles TV’s Michael Thorn is exec producing along with Prison Break’s Marty Adelstein and Medium’s Ren Echevarria.

Gary Marenzi, president, worldwide television, MGM, told TBIvision that the 12x1hour remake is darker than the original comedy. He said: “It’s based on the movie but done in a teen angst way, like Smallville, capturing the Twilight zeitgeist.”

He adds that it has closed a raft of deals already in addition to the UK and Australian sales. “We’ve done a lot of deals already, it speaks to the international market. [Living] jumped right on it. They’re going to be a good partner,” he added.

The company is also eyeing the return of Fox, who played Scott Howard in the original 1980s movie. “It’s been bandied about. It would be interesting to bring him in for a serious role” he noted.  

MGM is reportedly in the middle of a restructuring plan and is expected to undergo pre-packaged bankruptcy in the next couple of weeks. This move would also hand over management to Spyglass Entertainment’s Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum. However, Marenzi said that these arrangements are more focused on the movie side of the business. “Alot of the focus on MGM has been what they have been doing on the movie side. TV is a much less risky business if you do it properly,” he said.