CNN unveiled its slate of series and films planned for 2023, as the original projects unit prepares to scale back and take production in house.
The lineup of original series includes Giuliani: What Happened to America’s Mayor?, debuting on Jan. 8, as well as United States of Scandal with Jake Tapper and another devoted to the history of Las Vegas. Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, and Mark Herzog also return with another in their “decades” projects, this one focusing on the 2010s.
But the lineup will look far different in coming years, as the network announced in October that it was pulling back on original series and films, ending collaborations with outside partners. Most of the projects on the slate were in the works before the decision was made.
Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide, said in a statement, “Our CNN Original Series and CNN Films and teams are incredibly proud of the work we have created over the last decade, and we are grateful to our producing partners for bringing so many memorable stories to life.”
Newly announced projects for CNN Films include Blue Carbon and Chowchilla, both of which are working titles.
The lineup of series below:
Giuliani: What Happened to America’s Mayor?: The four part series features interviews with friends and former colleagues, telling the story of how Giuliani went from hero in the aftermath of 9/11 to the chief promoter of 2020 election conspiracy theories. CNN Original Series and Left/Right are partners on the project, which will launch with two episodes on Jan. 8.
The 2010s: The decade of Instagram, President Barack Obama, marriage equality, Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, and Trumpism already is the source of a retrospective, as the Hanks-Goetzman-Herzog return as executive producers.
United States of Scandal with Jake Tapper: The CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent hosts a six-part series in which he sits down with individuals who have been at the center of scandal, examining what motivates them to “break the rules and what happens when they are caught,” according to the network. The project is produced by The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), a part of Sony Pictures Television.
Vegas: The Story of Sin: The project, which has a working title, is a four-part series looking at the last 70 years of the fabled gambling mecca in the desert. It’s produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment. Executive Producers are Robert Friedman, Stephen J. Morrison and Mike Powers.
The series’ join previously announced Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico, from RAW TV, the production company behind Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, and See It Loud: The History of Black Television, a five part docuseries from executive producers LeBron James and Maverick Carter at The SpringHill Company.
New titles to CNN Films’ line up include:
Blue Carbon: The project, with a working title, follows Jayda G on a journey to understand how blue carbon can help reverse changes from global warming. The term is one that is given to seagrass meadows, mangroves, and tidal marshes, ecosystems that are disappearing. The project is produced by Make Waves Media and Tangled Bank Studios and directed by Nicolas Brown. Wu Tang Clan founding member RZA provides the score.
Chowchilla, also a working title, is the true story of a mass kidnapping of schoolchildren in California in 1976, from director Paul Solet and produced by Zipper Bros Films and Sutter Road Picture Company.