'Mad Men' Creator Matthew Weiner Resurfaces After a 7-Year Silence

There are few shows as critically beloved as Mad Men, which earned 116 Emmy nominations over its seven-season run. Creator Matthew Weiner received 15 of those personally, winning nine. With a résumé like that, it’s hard to imagine a writer of his stature struggling to find work. And yet, it’s been seven years since his last screen credit.

Granted, in 2017, Weiner was accused of sexual harassment during the height of the #MeToo era, though he faced few professional repercussions. He was also described as an “emotional terrorist” in the writers’ room by former Mad Men writer Marti Noxon (UnReal). Still, many in Hollywood have survived similar reputations, as long as they keep printing money for the studio.

What really derailed Weiner’s career, at least for a time, wasn’t the harassment allegation or his abrasive demeanor. It was The Romanoffs, his 2018 Prime Video anthology series. Overlong, self-indulgent, critically panned, and wildly expensive, the show tanked his reputation. Since then, Weiner has largely disappeared from the industry, save for a 2022 FX project that never made it past development.

Now, it appears Weiner is trying to stage a comeback. According to Kim Masters in a larger Puck piece on New Regency’s recent struggles — the studio behind the upcoming Man on Fire Netflix series and a Malcolm in the Middle revival — Weiner was reportedly paid $500,000 to adapt the 1989 Nicole Kidman film Dead Calm into a TV series. Studio heads say they have no concerns about his past.

Whether the project makes it to air remains to be seen. Though Dead Calm marked Kidman’s breakout, the film wasn’t a major hit. The choice feels like IP for IP’s sake, and it’s hard to envision the story expanding well into a series. The film is a tight thriller about a grieving couple who take a yacht trip, encounter a mysterious man from a sinking boat, and face off in a life-or-death struggle. The man boards their vessel, leaves the husband behind, and the wife must seduce and kill the intruder before rescuing her husband.

Does that sound like an eight- or ten-episode show? Sure, Weiner is a gifted writer, but it’s tough to imagine streamers lining up for a TV adaptation of a largely forgotten 36-year-old movie from a guy who has been in writers’ jail for the last seven years. But what do I know?

Source: Puck