Jon Hamm stars as Don Draper in "Mad Men" |
AMC has given a third season order to Mad Men, but the question of who will be running the show next season is still unanswered. There is drama behind the scenes as negotiations continue between Mad Men producer Lionsgate and series creator-exec producer Matthew Weiner.
The Hollywood Reporter, meanwhile, says that the pick up is contingent upon the studio's ability to negotiate a new deal with Weiner.
Lionsgate does not have a deal with Weiner for a third season, and he is looking for a raise to commensurate with the success the show has found.
The show won the Emmy for best drama series last month and is a pop-culture and critical phenomenon.
Weiner spent the weeks leading up to and after the Emmys making the rounds of major studios and networks to gauge what the market would bear for him in development of a new project or overall deal, Variety reports. One possible scenario would see Weiner cut a development deal with another outfit and a deal with Lionsgate to continue as showrunner on Mad Men.
It’s understood that Lionsgate is eyeing a two-year deal with Weiner which it could use as leverage to secure a fourth season pickup of Mad Men sooner rather than later.
Photo(s) by AMC- © 2008- All Rights Reserved