Craig Piligian


Pilgrim steals The Kiss Quotient

Pilgrim Media Group has snapped up TV and film rights to one of the summer’s breakout romance novels, The Kiss Quotient. The debut novel from author Helen Hoang (pictured), has enjoyed “excellent” sales since publication in June, and is currently in its fifth printing. Published by Berkley Jove Trade Paperback Originals (an imprint of Penguin Random […]

Ex-Eyeworks, Shine exec joins Lionsgate

Former Eyeworks and Shine International sales exec Ted Bookstaver has joined US studio Lionsgate Television. He will take up the newly-created post of senior VP, alternative programming sales. In the role, he will oversee global sales of Lionsgate’s slate of alternative (unscripted) shows. Lionsgate’s executive VP, alternative programming Jennifer O’Connell, who joined last year after […]

Pilgrim, esports firm create TV, digital pact

Craig Piligian’s Pilgrim Media Group and esports firm ESL have formed a partnership to create and distribute original content. The pair will focus on esports entertainment content – filmed and live gaming competitions – for television and digital platforms. ESL is one of the world’s leading esports companies, with its events including in the Intel […]

Damon, Affleck making mobile competition series

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are making The Runner, a competition series for mobile platforms in which contestants attempt to traverse the United States unnoticed. The Hollywood stars are teaming with Craig Piligian’s Pilgrim Media and Project Greenlight prodco Adaptive Studios and the project will launch on Verizon’s mobile platform go90. In the show a […]

Lionsgate buys stake in Wicked Tuna indie

Lionsgate Entertainment is buying into Wicked Tuna producer Pilgrim Studios. The “strategic investment” means Pilgrim now has financial backing from the Hunger Games and Mad Men studio, which this week welcomed Liberty Global and Discovery Communications as shareholders. The deal is thought to be worth US$200 million and believed to hand Lionsgate more than 50% […]

Pilgrim Studios launches 1620 D2C digital platform

US reality TV prodco Pilgrim Studios has launched a direct-to-consumer digital platform, 1620 Media. Pilgrim, run by veteran producer Craig Piligian, has rolled out the platform with six original series. The company said that 1620 will be programmed with scripted and unscripted fare as well as animation. Content will run from under one minute per […]

Piligian’s Pilgrim promotes pair

Johnny Gould and Nicholas Caprio have been promoted to chief creative officer and chief content officer at Craig Piligian’s prodco, Pilgrim Studios. Gould will oversee all original programming and development, along with format sales and acquisitions, having been with the company for 12 years. Caprio will oversee all current programming, having previously been executive VP, […]

Discovery in Cuban doc first

Discovery Channel has commissioned Cuban Chrome, a doc series about car culture in Cuba that it claims is the US TV series ever shot entirely in the county. The show will bow on the Discovery Channel net month and in Spanish on Discovery en Español. It will follow the history and culture of maintaining and […]

Asylum, Piligian team for Planet Earth of sports’

US prodcos Asylum and Pilgrim Studios are joining forces to produce Planet Sport (WT), a high-end factual series examining how sport shapes the wider world that the producers claims will be the Planet Earth of sports docs. Asylum is backed by film and TV indie studio Legendary and Pilgrim is Craig Piligian’s prodco. There is no […]

Pilgrim signs Tutera to first-look deal

Craig Piligian’s Pilgrim Studios has signed the star of its WE tv series CELEBrations to a first-look deal. According to terms of the pact, celebrity party planner David Tutera will work with US indie Pilgrim to make a variety of lifestyle-themed scripted and unscripted series. To date, the pair has made three series together: David […]