Deadline reports that 101 Studios and Smokehouse TV have made a multiyear overall deal for unscripted and scripted original television content. Smokehouse Productions was founded in 2006 by George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven, From Dusk Till Dawn) and Grant Heslov (True Lies, Good Night, and Good Luck). The companies have already had a previous relationship producing the upcoming docuseries about the Ohio State University athletic department abuse scandal.
The docuseries is based on Jon Wertheim’s Sports Illustrated article about former Ohio State physician who was accused of sexually abusing more than 300 athletes. It is directed by Eva Orner (Chasing Asylum, The Network) and will be distributed by HBO.
Clooney is currently the director and EP of upcoming Showtime series The Department, based on critically acclaimed French espionage thriller The Bureau. The Department is produced by Smokehouse Pictures with 101 Studios and MTV Entertainment, production is set to start later this year.
Smokehouse Pictures has produced films such as Argo, The Tender Bar, Ocean’s 8, and Ticket to Paradise. Clooney recently wrapped The Boys in the Boat, a film about the University of Washington rowing team that won gold at the Berlin Olympics in 1963.
Smokehouse television series include Taylor Sheridan’s (Wind River, Hell or High Water) Yellowstone, 1923, Tulsa King, and Mayor of Kingston as well as a Hulu miniseries based Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (Closing Time, Something Happened).
“We could not be more thrilled to be in business with George Clooney, Grant Heslov and the entire team at Smokehouse,” David Glasser (Narc, Finestkind), 101 Studios CEO, tells Deadline, “The quality of content coming out of Smokehouse is second to none and we are absolutely delighted they chose to make 101 their home.”