MGM‘s Epix is going through some changes. The platform’s voice is a bit deeper; hair is starting to grow in strange places, and a rebrand lays on the horizon. Today, premium and commercial-free linear and streaming service EPIX announced that it will rebrand as MGM+ in January 2023, capitalizing on the network’s brand promise to provide premium cinematic television and a leading theatrical library.
While the rebrand means exciting changes are coming, MGM+ still plans to host portions of its in-demand content, like the third season of the award-winning Godfather of Harlem, Billy the Kid, the sci-fi horror thriller FROM, and dramas like Rogue Heroes and Belgravia. MGM+ will launch on January 15, 2023, alongside Godfather of Harlem’s third season.
“MGM is one of the most iconic and beloved brands from the golden age of entertainment,” said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. “This rebrand is a promise to existing and new viewers that MGM+ is the place to find television that reflects and celebrates the legacy of the iconic MGM brand – cinematic programming with sophisticated storytelling that entertains, delights, surprises, and transports. MGM is television for movie lovers.”
In addition to the MGM+ reveal a new 8-episode series titled Hotel Cocaine is coming from Chris Brancato. Executive produced by Brancato (Godfather of Harlem, Narcos) and Guillermo Navarro (Pan’s Labyrinth), Hotel Cocaine tells the story of Roman Compte, a Cuban exile, CIA operative, and general manager of The Mutiny Hotel, the glamorous epicenter of the Miami cocaine scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s. The Mutiny Hotel was Casablanca on cocaine, a glitzy nightclub, restaurant, and hotel frequented by Florida businesspeople, politicians, international narcos, CIA and FBI agents, models, sports stars, and musicians. Compte was at the center, doing his best to keep it all going and fulfill his own American Dream.
“We are thrilled to expand our creative partnership with Chris Brancato,” said Michael Wright, president of EPIX. “Chris creates cinematic, sophisticated, and captivating television that exemplifies the EPIX brand,and we couldn’t enlist a better partner to help kick off this exciting new era for the network.”
“I’m excited to continue my creative journey with Michael, Laura, Nancy and the rest of the EPIX team,” said Chris Brancato. “Their creative support of Godfather of Harlem has been exemplary, and I can’t wait to stay up all night working on Hotel Cocaine.”
Navarro directs the pilot in addition to executive producing the series. Meanwhile, Brancato will showrun.
MGM+ will offer an extensive library of blockbuster films from MGM and other major Hollywood studios. With a 100-year history at its back, MGM is looking forward to refreshing its brand for a bright new future in the art of entertainment.