Stamp Johnson Re-UsaAMC Deal, Devices ‘Dark Vault’ Drama: Excl Interview

EXCLUSIVE: Stamp Johnson is closing in on two a long time at AMC. The Oscar-a success movie producer late such films as Rain Man, The Notebook and The Holdovers started his scuttle at the cable network with Vince Gilligan’s Emmy-a success Breaking Noxious. It resulted in seven different series to this point — and more within the works as Johnson has renewed his first-survey contend with AMC Studios.

“Why wouldn’t I be at AMC?,” he told Deadline in an interview tied to the unique pact. “They actually celebrate the anecdote. You survey at the success they’ve had, it is peaceful greatly the leader and the benchmark: precise writing, precise characters and precise tv.”

Johnson has become a franchise participant for AMC. Alongside with govt producing Breaking Noxious and prequel Greater Call Saul, he oversees the Anne Rice universe, which spans Interview With the Vampire and Mayfair Witches — both headed into Season 3 after filming Seasons 1 and a pair of in Fresh Orleans — and the upcoming Talamasca. Johnson moreover is spearheading the no longer too long within the past launched Gigantic American Tales anthology series, which is in a jam to delivery with The Grapes Of Wrath, written by Interview developer/showrunner Rolin Jones.

To boot to more installments of the present franchises, which he discusses within the Q&A, Johnson is rising different initiatives below his deal, including drama Dark Vault, written by Vinnie Wilhelm (The Bondsman) in accordance to the novella by Alma Katsu and govt produced by The Walking Ineffective franchise used Greg Nicotero.

In it, after an mettlesome CIA field agent makes the ill-told decision to picture his locate with a UFO, he finds himself abandoned by both his family and his allies at the Agency. Fifteen years later, buried late a desk at Langley, he’s asked to trace up for a role power investigating govt records of UFOs. Armed with the instruments to unpack the conditions of his accept as true with shame and redeem his previous, he stumbles onto a thriller that would possibly well maybe maybe more than likely upend the geopolitical advise— and more than likely rather more.

Within the interview with Deadline, Johnson shares plans for expanding the Anne Rice universe and constructing the Gigantic American Tales franchise and explains why The Grapes Of Wrath used to be chosen to delivery it. He remembers his probability first locate with Gilligan and reacts to Greater Call Saul‘s Emmy picture of fifty three nominations with out a salvage. He moreover affords updates on several TV series diversifications of films he had produced.

As he is about to turn 80 this Twelve months, Johnson unearths whether retirement is in his plans and what his hobbies are. He moreover affords his take hold of on the continuing industry correction and explains why he thinks series funds getting trimmed would possibly well maybe maybe more than likely moreover be an exact element.

Building Anne Rice Universe, Probably Crossovers & Spinoffs

DEADLINE: There had been just a few unsuccessful attempts to delivery an Anne Rice TV series franchise by the time AMC bought 18 of her books. Attributable to that, did it is doubtless you’ll maybe more than likely moreover personal any hesitation when approached by the network to oversee the properties?

JOHNSON: Smartly, I had a hesitation because, to be entirely candid, I didn’t in actual fact know Anne Rice that effectively. I had study Interview with the Vampire nonetheless didn’t know the remainder of her works, and I had no belief there used to be as a lot as there used to be.

I went encourage, checked out the Interview with the Vampire movie, started reading some books and realized the capacity and that no one else used to be doing what she used to be doing. That her theory, particularly of vampires, used to be so normal, because there is a temptation to recount, yet one other vampire uncover or movie, and yet her vampires — I protect announcing they’re vampires, nonetheless they’re folk.

Most folk disregard that vampires are indeed folk, and as well they’ve the total an identical longings and tastes that we personal. And what used to be so heartbreaking and brazenly romantic about our vampires is that they’re at their core, lonely. The friendships, the take care of affairs they’ve with non-vampires personal an finish date on them so within the kill, these vampires are left by myself.

The more I explored her, the more captivated I was. And as I bought to know Fresh Orleans, I spotted that so a lot of town used to be in her writing and fashioned by her writing. Even as you scoot to Fresh Orleans, they’re all these ghost tours and so a lot others, they’re all in accordance to Anne Rice’s books and characters. It dazzling became a world that I believed there’s so a lot to personal here.

DEADLINE: How mettlesome used to be the initial conception? Became it centered dazzling on Interview with the Vampire or did it is doubtless you’ll maybe more than likely moreover personal, admire Dick Wolf, three on-air series in mind already?

JOHNSON: Oh no, no, no. When we started, we thought maybe it would dazzling be Interview. And the genius of Interview with the Vampire is Rolin Jones, the showrunner-creator, who in actual fact took a truly devoted Anne Rice (formulation) nonetheless he’s moreover made it entirely his. I mediate both Seasons 1 and a pair of were noteworthy, and it’s no accident that both seasons bought a 98% Disagreeable Tomatoes score.

Had that been the most efficient Anne Rice element I did, I’d had been a gratified man. Then we started exploring about a of the several titles, and we bought to Mayfair Witches, which is created by Michelle Ashford and Esta Spaulding. It’s a truly different world; it’s contemporary, and it’s witches, no longer vampires. And again, it concentrates on human beings, it’s no longer celebrating the supernatural, nonetheless the natural as it’s tormented by these different characters.

After which, we’re within the capability of finishing Talamasca, which is a third one altogether. There’s almost a temptation to recount, effectively, they’re no longer in actual fact linked. And yet they’re; thematically they’re, and completely with regards to the vogue and as a concentration, all of them belong below the Anne Rice umbrella.

Our plot is — and we’re doing it judiciously — connecting, no longer so a lot with regards to easter eggs, nonetheless connecting characters from one uncover to the several, because within the kill, there’s a frequent point that all of them personal.

DEADLINE: Are you attending to about a extent the effect it is doubtless you’ll personal crossovers between reveals? Even when they’re no longer space within the an identical generation, time is roughly inappropriate with regards to immortals.

JOHNSON: I do know, there is a temptation. Even as you waste a personality, you enlighten, Oh, advance on, it is doubtless you’ll bring him encourage subsequent season, because it’s the supernatural. No, we can’t play by those rules. And one of the indispensable issues you study early on is that there are rules within Anne Rice’s work, and it is most indispensable to obey them since you deviate at the expense of alienating an viewers.

Nonetheless there’s so many different issues we can personal. For instance, The Talamasca is a firm that retains tabs on — and in belief doesn’t interfere with — the supernatural beings in our world. Of course, that would possibly well maybe maybe well personal with witches and with vampires, so which it is doubtless you’ll detect how we can join all three. And we personal. There are abundant surprises already in couple of the seasons, nonetheless within the impending season of both Interview and as well you’ll detect in Talamasca that there are some connections to those different franchises.

DEADLINE: What about spinoffs? You did one with Vince Gilligan, Greater Call Saul, and AMC has mastered that with The Walking Ineffective offshoots. Maintain you thought to be characters which personal broken out and in actual fact feel admire they’ll headline their very accept as true with uncover?

JOHNSON: No, I haven’t thought to be characters that are broken out. Here is no longer a criticism of Walking Ineffective, nonetheless in a weird formulation, if a personality is accessible to place into one other world or his or her accept as true with uncover, then that means you haven’t successfully constructed-in them into their very accept as true with franchise. The vampires Lestat and Louie are piquant to Interview with a Vampire, and I don’t know the way it is doubtless you’ll maybe more than likely damage them out of that world and that historical previous. I completely haven’t thought to be, oh, this personality is so a success, let’s give her or let’s give him their very accept as true with uncover.

DEADLINE: Isn’t there a separate Lestat e book in Anne Rice’s assortment that it is doubtless you’ll maybe more than likely exercise for a by-product?

JOHNSON: Yes, there’s a e book known as The Vampire Lestat nonetheless there is this connection. And, Talamasca, our third series, is no longer in accordance to a single e book. There isn’t a e book known as The Talamasca, nonetheless it’s a firm that appears to be like in a assortment of Anne Rice’s books.

John Lee Hancock, who’s a writer I’ve labored with a abundant deal, has created the arena of The Talamasca, all of it inspired by her work nonetheless taken a sure quantity of liberty, hopefully at the an identical time continuously being dedicated to what she will be able to personal accomplished with the Talamasca had she accomplished a e book on them.

DEADLINE: Is that this a course for you now, no longer adapt the books title by title nonetheless personal worlds-encompassing series the effect you pull from different novels? What else personal it is doubtless you’ll maybe more than likely moreover personal in pattern?

JOHNSON: We personal just a few quite plenty of issues in numerous phases of pattern, two in accordance to explicit books, and the third one, admire Talamasca, in accordance to series of events that occur in just a few the books, on characters who can injurious over into normal experiences.

AMC is being magnificent along with us, taking it grade by grade. So there isn’t this impulse, snappy, let’s derive the total Anne Rice stuff in pattern. And moreover it’s onerous work. You can’t personal quite a lot of issues , so that you pinpoint one or two and work on those. Our plot now would possibly well maybe maybe more than likely be to protect both Interview and Mayfair Witches going successfully, after which premiere Talamasca, which I mediate is a truly gratifying uncover. It’s roughly a perceive uncover, almost a John le Carré with aspects of the supernatural in it.

It’s the kind of gold mine, this cornucopia of fabric because Anne Rice items us characters and eventualities and moments in historical previous that you in actual fact want to play with. She’s so explicit and so tactile in her world. She’s an unprecedented writer, for one, being a girl writing when she used to be within the intervening time. And he or she’s very progressive and pretty salty with regards to all the pieces, from romance to intercourse to violence and, again, she’s writing relating to the supernatural in a capability that no one else has.

DEADLINE: Did you derive to meet her? Became she peaceful alive when you started working on the franchise?

JOHNSON: She used to be peaceful alive after we started taking pictures the most most indispensable season of Interview with the Vampire. She unfortunately died quickly after we started, and we had all of Fresh Orleans — and completely our taking pictures firm — in a personal of mourning. I in actual fact personal met her son, Christopher, who’s an govt producer on the reveals, nonetheless I never met Anne Rice herself.

DEADLINE: What number of Anne Rice series personal you envision within the universe? Can also you scoot to four or 5 at the an identical time?

JOHNSON: I mediate we would possibly well maybe maybe more than likely personal four or 5. In some unspecified time in the future, it becomes reasonably of ridiculous, nonetheless I in actual fact personal a truly tiny nonetheless incredibly gifted crew, and we can protect tabs, completely on the three we’ve. I do know that we would possibly well maybe maybe more than likely add a fourth and more than likely scoot reasonably of crazy with a fifth.

DEADLINE: What has been the affect from the reveals streaming on Netflix? Maintain you seen any spike in rankings?

JOHNSON: Smartly, our uncover Breaking Noxious didn’t become an official hit except it used to be on Netflix, it made a huge incompatibility. And we’ve already seen that with both Interview and Mayfair Witches, having the most most indispensable seasons of both those reveals be available on Netflix brought a assortment of unique subscribers to the network, which is precisely what AMC had hoped it would personal.

‘Breaking Noxious’ Universe & ‘Greater Call Saul’ Emmy Snub

DEADLINE: You talked about Breaking Noxious. Did you in actual fact meet Vince when you were judging a script rivals long time within the past?

JOHNSON: My undergraduate school used to be the College of Virginia. After I had been producing films, I was very serious relating to the movie festival and used to be asked to be phase of a script writing contest that used to be then headed by Governor Wilder of Virginia. I study a script by this NYU graduate who I mediate used to be doubtlessly 22 maybe 23 then, Vince Gilligan, who used to be living in Richmond, Virginia, and it used to be admire a delicate bulb went off.

Like any grasping producer, I acknowledged, I’ve bought to know this man. And so I went to Richmond, he and I spent an even duration of time, I went backward and ahead to Richmond, the effect he used to be living. We did just a few films together, and he used to be provided a job on The X Files. I believed that used to be a poor belief, because I believed he’d lose his notify. He’s the most inventive writer I’ve ever stumble upon, and I was troubled that tv used to be going to one way or the other beat it out of him. And itsy-bitsy did I do know…

DEADLINE: He lured you to TV. With Greater Call Saul, used to be that the most most indispensable time you started thinking of constructing TV franchises? Obviously you’ve accomplished it on the movie facet with The Chronicles of Narnia.

JOHNSON: Yes, it used to be with Greater Call Saul, the basis of holding that world alive. And to begin with, Vincent and the writers are geniuses, making clear that, as an illustration, Saul, whereas it recognizes and offers with characters and moments from Breaking Noxious, the puzzle fits and there are no discrepancies within it. And I believed, what a abundant belief. So the basis that I’m now serious relating to the Breaking Noxious franchise, the Anne Rice franchise, and now Gigantic American Tales, is totally no longer by scheme.

DEADLINE: When it comes to the Breaking Noxious franchise, is this it? You did the El Camino movie too, and Vince is currently busy with his secret Apple uncover. Nonetheless is there more within the Breaking Noxious universe that you guys are noodling on?

JOHNSON: You’ll personal to demand Vince, that I don’t know. I do know nothing about Vince’s unique uncover. I was with him superb week, we proceed to be pretty shut. Nonetheless there’s sure issues that I don’t know about. That’s a demand for Vince, I don’t know of any continuation.

DEADLINE: Breaking Noxious won 16 Emmys, including 2 for Drama Series. What personal you manufacture of Greater Call Saul’s Emmy picture of zero wins out of fifty three nominations?

JOHNSON: I mediate it used to be implausible and humbling for this uncover that meant so a lot to all of us to be identified with so many nominations over the years, and never a success used to be about as on-stamp for Saul Goodman as one would possibly well maybe maybe more than likely imagine.

‘Gigantic American Tale’ Plans

DEADLINE: Even as you were renewing your AMC deal, make you know which it is doubtless you’ll be taking on a second franchise for them, beyond Anne Rice?

JOHNSON: No, I knew that we’re within the heart of the Anne Rice one, nonetheless this Gigantic American Tales is rather unique, and it’s a brainchild of (President of Entertainment and AMC Studios) Dan McDermott. He in actual fact desires to celebrate what it capability to be American and the historical previous of the American generation as seen thru its literature and events. I mediate the ambition is mountainous, which is what draws me to it.

DEADLINE: Whose belief used to be it to delivery with The Grapes of Wrath, yours or Dan’s?

JOHNSON: I mediate it used to be Dan and Rolin Jones, who’s with out doubt one of the indispensable crucial gifted storytellers I’ve stumble upon. We talked about it. I had study it, I mediate, in graduate school, nonetheless I snappy came encourage and re-study it. I in actual fact personal forgotten how unprecedented it is, and I mediate it’s a splendid anecdote for our time.

When it used to be first printed, it used to be thought to be un-American, and so a lot folk in actual fact wanted to ban it. And the truth of the matter is, whereas it is a political piece, it is greatly a celebration of who we as Individuals are, who the characters are, and what this nation is all about, even supposing it’s greatly relating to the Joad family being below the thumb of those in power. I mediate it’s doubtlessly the largest element we can delivery off with.

You survey at the John Ford movie with Henry Fonda, which is amazingly, very solid. Arrogantly I enlighten, I mediate we can in actual fact toughen upon it, and I don’t mediate there’s a bigger writer than Rolin. In advise quickly as he brought that up, I mediate all of us acknowledged, splendid.

So we’re initiating with a bang, and we’ll detect what we apply it with. We’re arresting all forms of titles. There are 9 American Nobel Prize winners in literature, the ninth one is, clearly, Bob Dylan. I’m no longer clear we’re going to be doing a Bob Dylan uncover, nonetheless the palette is mountainous.

DEADLINE: What is the unique space of The Grapes of Wrath? How far along is it?

JOHNSON: It has no longer been written yet. Rolin is in any other case engaged with the third season of Interview.

DEADLINE: Nonetheless you’re already different titles, sure?

JOHNSON: Oh sure, we personal form of a grasp checklist, and as quickly as it used to be launched, a assortment of in actual fact most indispensable writers reached out and acknowledged, How about this? What about that? Maintain you thought to be this? It’s no longer easy because I don’t know which it is doubtless you’ll apply it with a heavy duration piece. Influence you are attempting one thing reasonably of bit lighter in tone? Influence you are attempting one thing geographically different? Anyhow, the alternate choices are mountainous, and I mediate we’ll be rising two or three titles at the an identical time in rivals for the second (installment).

DEADLINE: Dare I enlighten that the terrifying AMC bake-off is encourage?

JOHNSON: I don’t. By the vogue, I mediate I could well maybe maybe more than likely moreover personal escaped that, and there are a assortment of participants I do know who will damn AMC attributable to that bake-off job. It used to be, to their credit score, discontinued, nonetheless it used to be a reasonably no longer easy formulation to personal it.

Stare, I’ve been at AMC for the reason that delivery of my tv profession. I did just a few issues at CBS years within the past, nonetheless no longer dazzling with Breaking Noxious, nonetheless Pause and Catch Fireplace and Rectify, two reveals I’m extraordinarily proud of. I’ve been there long ample that just about the total administration has changed. The fixed participant is Ben Davis, who started as a pattern govt after we were doing Breaking Noxious and now runs manufacturing. I could well maybe maybe more than likely no longer be more gratified and pretty frankly, thankful, that I’m at AMC.

DEADLINE: Is it which it is doubtless you’ll think for you to switch contemporary with Gigantic American Tales or will you be sticking to classics?

JOHNSON: Certain. I was speaking about one thing within the future– and I make no longer personal any belief what the rights narrate is — would possibly well maybe maybe more than likely we personal one thing admire A Confederacy of Dunces? I’m a huge Walker Percy fan. There are some in actual fact precise, no longer dazzling 20th century, nonetheless finish of 20th century writers, some unprecedented folk, be it (John) Cheever. It’s dazzling this abundant different, it is doubtless you’ll maybe more than likely moreover personal all these titles.

‘Dark Vault’ & Adapting ‘Galaxy Quest’, ‘The Holdovers’ & ‘What Lies Beneath’ For TV

DEADLINE: Under your AMC deal, are you working on the rest that is a stamp unique IP or dazzling one thing different than Anne Rice and Gigantic American Tales?

JOHNSON: We’re positively rising pretty quite a lot of issues, we personal some writers. Stare, for a producer, writers are his or her lifeblood, about a of my easiest mates are writers. Other folks advance to me the total time, or I’ll scoot to them with an belief, writers I price. So we personal just a few issues in pattern at AMC which personal nothing to personal with franchises.

DEADLINE: Anything else it is doubtless you’ll show?

JOHNSON: There’s one thing known as Dark Vault that I’m doing with a marvelous writer named Vinnie Wilhelm. For me as a producer, it’s a non-outlandish deal, it’s a first-survey deal. So I in actual fact personal just a few issues .We’re rising our movie, Galaxy Quest, as a TV series. Nonetheless the bulk of my work is clearly with AMC. And no longer because I in actual fact personal a deal there; it’d be my first live it is no longer in actual fact crucial what.

DEADLINE: What is the space of the long-gestating Galaxy Quest series at Paramount+? And I imagine you moreover had been rising a TV series in accordance to The Holdovers.

JOHNSON: Each are being written, so we’ll detect.

DEADLINE: Any different movie titles from your body of work that you’re taking a perceive at or had been approached about doing for TV? One day The Notebook will doubtlessly lend itself to a miniature series somewhere.

JOHNSON: Yeah, there used to be, clearly, the Broadway play. We’re speaking. We’re very the basis of maybe doing a tv uncover — I’m no longer clear I could well maybe maybe more than likely moreover peaceful enlighten this nonetheless I’m going to — our movie What Lies Beneath, that would possibly well maybe maybe more than likely lend itself to a truly precise, maybe miniature, maybe no longer, TV uncover.

DEADLINE: Is there any of your movie titles that it is doubtless you’ll maybe more than likely personal for AMC or are all of them tied up at different studios?

JOHNSON: Most of them are. There’s one thing that I’m chatting with AMC this week about, nonetheless I will be succesful to’t picture you.

Cameos, Retirement & Contracting TV Budgets

DEADLINE: Maintain you accomplished cameos for your reveals? Influence it is doubtless you’ll maybe more than likely moreover personal hobby in doing that?

JOHNSON: No, I make no longer personal any hobby in any admire. I had a tiny phase in Suitable Morning, Vietnam. I had a tiny phase in The Notebook, a tiny phase in just a few others. I abominate it, it drives me crazy. I grew up in Spain, of all locations, and at the time, they were making American and British films there. I started working as a further, after which I had just a few tiny parts. Nonetheless no, that’s no longer an ambition of mine, and no longer one thing I derive pleasure from doing.

DEADLINE: Your profession has spanned bigger than four a long time on two continents across movie and TV. Are you slowing down at any point, derive pleasure from golf and retirement? How long are you planning to switch on beefy scuttle?

JOHNSON: what, Nellie, I derive pleasure from it so a lot I don’t know why I’d step down. And I don’t play golf. I’m doubtlessly the most tedious individual I do know, because my passion is films and tv. I will cinemas two or three times a week. I went downtown to Alamo Drafthouse to search out Serpico. And a pair of days earlier than I was watching The Dialog at the Egyptian.

I bought a graduate degree in movie scholarship, historical previous, belief and criticism — no longer movie manufacturing — and I was going to point out it earlier than I bought fervent. You can’t take a look at with me about a lot out of doorways of the movie and tv worlds because I I’m too busy taking note of all of that world. I in actual fact take care of doing what I’m doing, as long as I in actual fact feel that I’m doing it effectively and am reasonably of linked, I’m going to protect doing it.

DEADLINE: What is subsequent for you on the movie facet?

JOHNSON: I’m working with a director who it is doubtless you’ll maybe more than likely know, hanging together one thing that we’re going to delivery taking pictures by the tip of the Twelve months.

DEADLINE: AMC and your total industry personal changed so a lot since Breaking Noxious. What is your take hold of on the effect tv is going? Are you optimistic relating to the vogue ahead for TV storytelling and TV producers? There would possibly well be narrate that they would possibly well maybe maybe moreover become extinct due to the the unique compensation objects.

JOHNSON: Yeah, the producers’ quandary is a no longer easy one correct now, and there are a assortment of us, a quantity or organizations, including Producers United, looking out for to protect, no longer dazzling the producers themselves, nonetheless what a producer does. It appears to be like to be undervalued in this day and age and is taken up assuredly by folk that aren’t producers, and I mediate the job and generally the product suffers from it.

I’m no longer going to recount the rest normal, it’s an evolving world. I was lucky in that I was a characteristic movie producer who in actual fact, due to the Breaking Noxious, adapted and popular the tv world. You’re the exercise of different muscular tissues, and it’s so gratifying. I’m so lucky because I will be succesful to personal a characteristic now after which, and these tv reveals, which I in actual fact derive pleasure from doing. The challenges are different, and as well they protect me on my toes.

I mediate what we’re going thru correct now, every person’s complaining about budgets, nonetheless it’s dazzling a redirection. I mediate it’s setting the scales encourage to zero because we were spending, pretty frankly, formulation too a lot on so many reveals.

At AMC, we don’t personal the an identical budgets about a of the streamers personal, nonetheless it in actual fact forces you to be more imaginative, more resourceful. So I’d point at both seasons of Interview With the Vampire and dare anybody to recount those aren’t in actual fact spectacularly made pieces of filmmaking.

And we made them on a level that I mediate, all all over again, I don’t mediate we’re misspending any money, and I don’t mediate the rest wished to be as pricey as it has been within the previous. Obviously, whereas you’re doing Shōgun, there’s a sure quantity of cash that it is most indispensable to use, nonetheless I personal mediate all the pieces’s bought formulation out of whack, and I don’t bemoan the truth that it’s correcting itself now.

DEADLINE: So being a producer is peaceful a viable profession within the post-height TV panorama?

JOHNSON: Yes, and in phase, I don’t even know the suitable formulation to keep in touch about it financially. I will be succesful to dazzling enlighten it’s a viable profession because it’s immensely gratifying. There’s so many abundant creators, so many characteristic directors, so many abundant showrunners, and I want to lend a hand them manufacture whatever it is they want to manufacture within the parameters that were given. Some days are more challenging than others, nonetheless I love what I’m doing,