National Geographic Renews "Genius" for 3rd Season

[JamesG]

"Genius" Renewed By Nat Geo, Season 3 Subject Revealed – Upfront
by Denise Petski
April 18, 2018


National Geographic has renewed scripted anthology series "Genius" for a third season and has revealed that iconic literary figure Mary Shelley, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein will be its subject.

The network made the announcement at the conclusion of its upfront Wednesday in New York City.




Mary Shelley will follow brilliant physicist Albert Einstein, who was at the center of Season 1, and famous artist Pablo Picasso, who was the subject of Season 2.

Like with the previous seasons, Nat Geo and Fox 21 Television Studios and Imagine Television are expected to go after big names for the lead — Geoffrey Rush played Einstein, and Antonio Banderas portrayed Picasso.

The Season 3 renewal comes a week ahead of the April 24 premiere of "Genius: Picasso".




“Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein left an indelible mark on generations of imaginations,” said Carolyn Bernstein, EVP, global development and production for National Geographic Global Networks.

“Equally inspiring is the story of Shelley’s relentless innovation, coupled with her desire to live on her own unconventional terms despite immense societal and cultural obstacles.”




“Mary Shelley has inspired countless filmmakers with her tale of the wretch brought to life by science gone wrong, but very few have fully captured her insightful reflections on society in the myth she left behind,” said executive producer Ron Howard.

“Few know of her struggles due to gender inequities, her additional writings, her influence on other historically significant individuals and society at large. Showcasing someone like Mary Shelley and her amazing intellect, compassion and fortitude is exactly what this series is for.”




Finding a highly accomplished woman to be the subject of "Genius" had been important for Nat Geo and the series’ producers. There was talk about a female protagonist for Season 2 before Picasso was ultimately selected. I hear everyone involved doubled their efforts on getting a woman-centered third season.

(Scientist Marie Curie would’ve been an obvious choice but she was featured prominently in Season 1 because of her interactions with Einstein.)



“The choice of Mary Shelley as the subject of our third season speaks to the incredible depth of the franchise,” said Bert Salke, president of Fox 21 Television Studios. “How fitting at this moment in time to pivot to one of the many female geniuses in human history, and Mary’s story is both stranger than fiction and incredibly dramatic.”




Showrunner, executive producer and writer Ken Biller will be back in the same role next season. Also returning are executive producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Francie Calfo of Imagine TV, with the company’s Anna Culp serving as producer.

Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane are executive producers for MWM Studios and Sam Sokolow and Jeff Cooney are executive producers for EUE/Sokolow. Filming is expected to begin later this year.

http://deadline.com/2018/04/genius-3...ed-1202367541/