LA SCREENINGS: Feature film outfit Legendary Entertainment has attracted US$250m investment from Softbank for its push into TV and had its first outing at the LA Screenings this week, writes Clive Whittingham.

Sony alumni Michael Grindon, now president of distribution at Legendary TV & Digital Media, has been holding screenings in LA this week for new series The Expanse and Colony, attracting the attention of buyers perhaps on their way to the bigger studios in Burbank.

The first show is a futuristic drama that Alcon TV Group is making for Syfy, while the latter is a 10-episode alien invasion drama from Legendary TV, Universal Cable Productions, Carlton Cuse and Ryan Condal for USA Network. And adding to the superhero count this week, Legendary and Fullscreen are bringing 1970s characters Electra Woman and Dyna Girl back to life.

Here, Grindon reveals the thinking behind the company’s move into TV.

Why have we seen such an influx of movie talent and prodcos into TV?
Motion pictures still pay but there are different types of stories you can tell on television. Guillermo del Toro was developing Carnival Row as a feature film with us but he decided it might work better as a TV series because he wanted to spend more time exploring the amazing world of demons and gremlins he’d created. The budgets are much higher than they were and the level of creativity on television has expanded significantly. Television gives you a larger canvas to paint on.

What are Legendary’s priorities for the next 24 months?
Capitalising on the past two years’ work; building a development pipeline under president of television and digital media Bruce Rosenblum; and adding to the deals we’ve done with people like Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Ben Stiller and their various companies. We’re moving into production on the initial projects: Colony, a one-hour series for USA Network, and Love, a half-hour project with Netflix and Judd Apatow.

Could we see Legendary launching its own platforms to take content direct to consumers?
We don’t intend to be a broadcaster but we have invested in internet sites like Nerdist, Geek & Sundry and Smart Girls, and we’re creating content to distribute through them. We’re looking at projects for digital platforms that can perhaps be taken over to linear TV. Launching our own linear channel is an interesting proposition but we’re focused more on SVoD platforms and new, innovative ways of watching television.

What effect might the plans to end geo-blocking in Europe have on distribution there?
I’m not sure the variety of EC authorities have completely thought through how that would work. If somebody licenses rights in France, will they not be able to license them in other territories? How will the subsidies work? How do local producers in Europe recoup if their shows are available everywhere? It’s early to say but it could have a really detrimental impact on a lot of production businesses in Europe, which isn’t the intention. When somebody eventually thinks it through there will be a very different approach.

Will the move to shorter-run, higher-concept, more serialised drama continue in the US?
Yes, because it creates a much higher quality of TV. One of the major reasons we’re now seeing some of the best television that’s ever been produced is the reduced pressure to keep cranking out one episode a week for a long period of time. It allows creative people to lavish time and effort on making sure the scripts are terrific. It is making for compelling television, some of it quite niche but a lot of it still appealing to very broad audiences across the US and the world.

Can the main broadcast nets compete with the niche, risqué content that is playing so well on cable and VoD?
Broadcast networks have to live up to a different standard because they’re free-to-air. That allows pay cable to appeal to a different audience, but I don’t think the broadcast nets are missing out too much by not taking that edge. They can still produce provocative, interesting content without being as explicit. You also have the digital networks like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix grabbing share, so they’re forced to look at how to make their content more popular, more appealing and maybe push the boundaries a little bit. It’s hard to appeal to a broad audience and still bring something interesting and creative but it’s not impossible.

What effect is this shift having internationally, where channels have relied on US procedurals?
There is an appetite for procedural drama around the world that is not being fulfilled. We’re seeing deals such as the link-up between NBCUniversal, RTL and TF1 because they are looking to fulfil a need on their networks. They don’t have enough of that content coming in so they’re going to work to influence it early in the process.

The trend towards more locally produced content grows and wanes. Local production costs more money, whereas acquiring US content is more cost-effective. There is a push for more local content outside the US at the moment, but it will swing back the other way. As networks shift towards home-grown, others move to exploit the opportunity that creates by acquiring more.