EXCLUSIVE: Mark Johnson is closing in on 20 years at AMC. The Oscar-winning movie producer behind such motion pictures as Rain Man, The Pocket book and The Holdovers began his run on the cable community with Vince Gilligan’s Emmy-winning Breaking Unhealthy. It led to seven different sequence so far — and extra within the works as Johnson has renewed his first-look cope with AMC Studios.
“Why wouldn’t I be at AMC?,” he advised Deadline in an interview tied to the brand new pact. “They really have a good time the story. You have a look at the success they’ve had, it’s nonetheless very a lot the chief and the benchmark: good writing, good characters and good tv.”
Johnson has turn out to be a franchise participant for AMC. Together with government producing Breaking Unhealthy and prequel Higher Name Saul, he oversees the Anne Rice universe, which spans Interview With the Vampire and Mayfair Witches — each headed into Season 3 after filming Seasons 1 and a pair of in New Orleans — and the upcoming The Talamasca. Johnson is also spearheading the not too long ago introduced Nice American Tales anthology sequence, which is able to launch with The Grapes Of Wrath, written by Interview developer/showrunner Rolin Jones.
Along with extra installments of the present franchises, which he discusses within the Q&A, Johnson is creating different tasks below his deal, together with drama Black Vault, written by Vinnie Wilhelm (The Bondsman) primarily based on the novella by Alma Katsu and government produced by The Strolling Lifeless franchise veteran Greg Nicotero.
In it, after an formidable CIA subject agent makes the ill-advised option to report his encounter with a UFO, he finds himself deserted by each his household and his allies on the Company. Fifteen years later, buried behind a desk at Langley, he’s requested to affix a process pressure investigating authorities data of UFOs. Armed with the instruments to unpack the circumstances of his personal shame and redeem his previous, he stumbles onto a thriller that would upend the geopolitical order— and presumably far more.
Within the interview with Deadline, Johnson shares plans for increasing the Anne Rice universe and constructing the Nice American Tales franchise and explains why The Grapes Of Wrath was chosen to launch it. He recollects his probability first encounter with Gilligan and reacts to Higher Name Saul‘s Emmy file of 53 nominations with no win. He additionally provides updates on a number of TV sequence variations of flicks he had produced.
As he’s about to show 80 this yr, Johnson reveals whether or not retirement is in his plans and what his hobbies are. He additionally provides his tackle the continued business correction and explains why he thinks sequence funds getting trimmed could also be a superb factor.
Mark Johnson behind the scenes on ‘Mayfair Witches’ Season 2
Skip Bolen/AMC
Constructing Anne Rice Universe, Potential Crossovers & Spinoffs
DEADLINE: There had been a number of unsuccessful makes an attempt to launch an Anne Rice TV sequence franchise by the point AMC acquired 18 of her books. Due to that, did you’ve got any hesitation when approached by the community to supervise the properties?
JOHNSON: Properly, I had a hesitation as a result of, to be completely candid, I didn’t actually know Anne Rice that properly. I had learn Interview with the Vampire however didn’t know the remainder of her works, and I had no concept there was as a lot as there was.
I went again, appeared on the Interview with the Vampire film, began studying some books and realized the potential and that no person else was doing what she was doing. That her idea, particularly of vampires, was so unique, as a result of there’s a temptation to say, yet one more vampire present or film, and but her vampires — I preserve saying they’re vampires, however they’re people.
Most individuals overlook that vampires are certainly people, and so they have all the identical longings and tastes that we do. And what was so heartbreaking and brazenly romantic about our vampires is that they’re at their core, lonely. The friendships, the amorous affairs they’ve with non-vampires have an finish date on them so finally, these vampires are left alone.
The extra I explored her, the extra captivated I used to be. And as I acquired to know New Orleans, I spotted that a lot of town was in her writing and fashioned by her writing. For those who go to New Orleans, they’re all these ghost excursions and so forth, they’re all primarily based on Anne Rice’s books and characters. It simply grew to become a world that I believed there’s a lot to do right here.
DEADLINE: How formidable was the preliminary plan? Was it centered simply on Interview with the Vampire or did you’ve got, like Dick Wolf, three on-air sequence in thoughts already?
JOHNSON: Oh no, no, no. After we began, we thought possibly it might simply be Interview. And the genius of Interview with the Vampire is Rolin Jones, the showrunner-creator, who actually took a really trustworthy Anne Rice [approach] however he’s additionally made it totally his. I believe each Seasons 1 and a pair of have been outstanding, and it’s no accident that each seasons acquired a 98% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Had that been the one Anne Rice factor I did, I’d have been a contented man. Then we began exploring a number of the different titles, and we acquired to Mayfair Witches, which is created by Michelle Ashford and Esta Spaulding. It’s a totally completely different world; it’s modern, and it’s witches, not vampires. And once more, it concentrates on human beings, it’s not celebrating the supernatural, however the pure because it’s affected by these different characters.
After which, we’re within the means of ending The Talamasca, which is a 3rd one altogether. There’s nearly a temptation to say, properly, they’re not likely linked. And but they’re; thematically they’re, and definitely when it comes to the type and as a focus, all of them belong below the Anne Rice umbrella.
Our objective is — and we’re doing it judiciously — connecting, not a lot when it comes to easter eggs, however connecting characters from one present to the opposite, as a result of finally, there’s a standard level that all of them have.
DEADLINE: Are you getting to some extent the place you are able to do crossovers between reveals? Even when they’re not set in the identical period, time is type of irrelevant with regards to immortals.
JOHNSON: I do know, there’s a temptation. Whenever you kill a personality, you say, Oh, come on, you possibly can convey him again subsequent season, as a result of it’s the supernatural. No, we are able to’t play by these guidelines. And one of many belongings you be taught early on is that there are guidelines inside Anne Rice’s work, and it’s important to obey them since you deviate on the expense of alienating an viewers.
However there’s so many different issues we are able to do. As an illustration, The Talamasca is a corporation that retains tabs on — and in principle doesn’t intervene with — the supernatural beings in our world. In fact, that might do with witches and with vampires, so you possibly can see how we are able to join all three. And we do. There are massive surprises already in couple of the seasons, however within the coming season of each Interview and also you’ll see in Talamasca that there are some connections to those different franchises.
DEADLINE: What about spinoffs? You probably did one with Vince Gilligan, Higher Name Saul, and AMC has mastered that with The Strolling Lifeless offshoots. Have you considered characters which have damaged out and really feel like they’ll headline their very own present?
JOHNSON: No, I haven’t considered characters which can be damaged out. This isn’t a criticism of Strolling Lifeless, however in an odd approach, if a personality is obtainable to place into one other world or his or her personal present, then meaning you haven’t efficiently built-in them into their very own franchise. The vampires Lestat and Louie are distinctive to Interview with a Vampire, and I don’t understand how you’ll break them out of that world and that historical past. I actually haven’t considered, oh, this character is so profitable, let’s give her or let’s give him their very own present.
Sam Reid as Lestat in ‘Interview With the Vampire’
AMC
DEADLINE: Isn’t there a separate Lestat guide in Anne Rice’s assortment that you would use for a by-product?
JOHNSON: Sure, there’s a guide referred to as The Vampire Lestat however there’s this connection. And, Talamasca, our third sequence, is just not primarily based on a single guide. There isn’t a guide referred to as The Talamasca, nevertheless it’s a company that seems in quite a few Anne Rice’s books.
John Lee Hancock, who’s a author I’ve labored with a terrific deal, has created the world of The Talamasca, all of it impressed by her work however taken a certain quantity of liberty, hopefully on the identical time at all times being trustworthy to what she may need completed with the Talamasca had she completed a guide on them.
DEADLINE: Is that this a path for you now, not adapt the books title by title however do worlds-encompassing sequence the place you pull from completely different novels? What else do you’ve got in improvement?
JOHNSON: We’ve got a few different issues in several levels of improvement, two primarily based on particular books, and the third one, like Talamasca, primarily based on sequence of occasions that occur in a few the books, on characters who can cross over into unique tales.
AMC is being good together with us, taking it step-by-step. So there isn’t this impulse, rapidly, let’s get all of the Anne Rice stuff in improvement. And likewise it’s exhausting work. You may’t do loads of issues suddenly, so that you pinpoint one or two and work on these. Our objective now’s to maintain each Interview and Mayfair Witches going efficiently, after which premiere Talamasca, which I believe is a really satisfying present. It’s type of a spy present, nearly a John le Carré with components of the supernatural in it.
It’s such a gold mine, this cornucopia of fabric as a result of Anne Rice presents us characters and conditions and moments in historical past that you just wish to play with. She’s so particular and so tactile in her world. She’s a unprecedented author, for one, being a lady writing when she was at the moment. And he or she’s very progressive and fairly salty when it comes to all the pieces, from romance to intercourse to violence and, once more, she’s writing in regards to the supernatural in a approach that no person else has.
DEADLINE: Did you get to satisfy her? Was she nonetheless alive if you began engaged on the franchise?
JOHNSON: She was nonetheless alive once we began taking pictures the primary season of Interview with the Vampire. She sadly died shortly after we began, and we had all of New Orleans — and definitely our taking pictures firm — in a type of mourning. I’ve met her son, Christopher, who’s an government producer on the reveals, however I by no means met Anne Rice herself.
DEADLINE: What number of Anne Rice sequence do you envision within the universe? Might you go to 4 or 5 on the identical time?
JOHNSON: I believe we might do 4 or 5. Sooner or later, it turns into a bit of ridiculous, however I’ve a really small however extremely gifted staff, and we are able to preserve tabs, actually on the three we’ve got now. I do know that we might add a fourth and possibly go a bit of loopy with a fifth.
DEADLINE: What has been the impression from the reveals streaming on Netflix? Have you ever seen any spike in rankings?
JOHNSON: Properly, our present Breaking Unhealthy didn’t turn out to be an official hit till it was on Netflix, it made an enormous distinction. And we’ve already seen that with each Interview and Mayfair Witches, having the primary seasons of each these reveals be out there on Netflix introduced quite a few new subscribers to the community, which is precisely what AMC had hoped it might do.
The Breaking Unhealthy staff, together with creator/exec producer Vince Gilligan, star Bryan Cranston and government producer Mark Johnson, have a good time the sequence’ Excellent Drama Collection Emmy win in 2013.
Jason Merritt/Getty Photos
‘Breaking Unhealthy’ Universe & ‘Higher Name Saul’ Emmy Snub
DEADLINE: You talked about Breaking Unhealthy. Did you actually meet Vince if you have been judging a script competitors very long time in the past?
JOHNSON: My undergraduate college was the College of Virginia. After I had been producing motion pictures, I used to be very concerned within the movie pageant and was requested to be a part of a script writing contest that was then headed by Governor Wilder of Virginia. I learn a script by this NYU graduate who I believe was in all probability 22 possibly 23 then, Vince Gilligan, who was dwelling in Richmond, Virginia, and it was like a light-weight bulb went off.
Like several grasping producer, I mentioned, I’ve acquired to know this man. And so I went to Richmond, he and I spent a good period of time, I went backwards and forwards to Richmond, the place he was dwelling. We did a few motion pictures collectively, and he was supplied a job on The X Information. I believed that was a horrible concept, as a result of I believed he’d lose his voice. He’s probably the most ingenious author I’ve ever come throughout, and I used to be frightened that tv was going to in some way beat it out of him. And little did I do know…
DEADLINE: He lured you to TV. With Higher Name Saul, was that the primary time you began pondering of constructing TV franchises? Clearly you’ve completed it on the movie facet with The Chronicles of Narnia.
JOHNSON: Sure, it was with Higher Name Saul, the concept of maintaining that world alive. And initially, Vincent and the writers are geniuses, ensuring that, as an example, Saul, whereas it acknowledges and offers with characters and moments from Breaking Unhealthy, the puzzle matches and there are not any discrepancies inside it. And I believed, what a terrific concept. So the concept that I’m now concerned within the Breaking Unhealthy franchise, the Anne Rice franchise, and now Nice American Tales, is actually not by design.
DEADLINE: When it comes to the Breaking Unhealthy franchise, is that this it? You probably did the El Camino film too, and Vince is at the moment busy along with his secret Apple present. However is there extra within the Breaking Unhealthy universe that you just guys are noodling on?
JOHNSON: You’ll need to ask Vince, that I don’t know. I do know nothing about Vince’s new present. I used to be with him final week, we proceed to be fairly shut. However there’s sure issues that I don’t find out about. That’s a query for Vince, I don’t know of any continuation.
DEADLINE: Breaking Unhealthy gained 16 Emmys, together with 2 for Drama Collection. What do you make of Higher Name Saul’s Emmy file of zero wins out of 53 nominations?
JOHNSON: I believe it was unbelievable and humbling for this present that meant a lot to all of us to be acknowledged with so many nominations over time, and by no means profitable was about as on-brand for Saul Goodman as one might think about.
Rolin Jones, The ‘Grapes of Wrath,’ Mark Johnson
Getty Photos
‘Nice American Story’ Plans
DEADLINE: Whenever you have been renewing your AMC deal, do you know that you’d be taking up a second franchise for them, past Anne Rice?
JOHNSON: No, I knew that we’re in the midst of the Anne Rice one, however this Nice American Tales is fairly current, and it’s a brainchild of [President of Entertainment and AMC Studios] Dan McDermott. He actually desires to have a good time what it means to be American and the historical past of the American technology as seen by its literature and occasions. I believe the ambition is big, which is what attracts me to it.
DEADLINE: Whose concept was it to start out with The Grapes of Wrath, yours or Dan’s?
JOHNSON: I believe it was Dan and Rolin Jones, who is without doubt one of the most gifted storytellers I’ve come throughout. We talked about it. I had learn it, I believe, in graduate college, however I rapidly got here again and re-read it. I’ve forgotten how extraordinary it’s, and I believe it’s an ideal story for our time.
When it was first printed, it was thought-about un-American, and lots of people actually needed to ban it. And the reality of the matter is, whereas it’s a political piece, it is extremely a lot a celebration of who we as People are, who the characters are, and what this nation is all about, regardless that it’s very a lot in regards to the Joad household being below the thumb of these in energy. I believe it’s in all probability the most important factor we are able to begin off with.
You have a look at the John Ford film with Henry Fonda, which may be very, very sturdy. Arrogantly I say, I believe we are able to really enhance upon it, and I don’t suppose there’s a greater author than Rolin. In order quickly as he introduced that up, I believe all of us mentioned, good.
So we’re beginning with a bang, and we’ll see what we observe it with. We’re entertaining every kind of titles. There are 9 American Nobel Prize winners in literature, the ninth one is, after all, Bob Dylan. I’m unsure we’re going to be doing a Bob Dylan present, however the palette is gigantic.
DEADLINE: What’s the present standing of The Grapes of Wrath? How far alongside is it?
JOHNSON: It has not been written but. Rolin is in any other case engaged with the third season of Interview.
DEADLINE: However you’re already occupied with different titles, sure?
JOHNSON: Oh sure, we’ve got type of a grasp checklist, and as quickly because it was introduced, quite a few actually vital writers reached out and mentioned, How about this? What about that? Have you considered this? It’s tough as a result of I don’t know that you could observe it with a heavy interval piece. Do you attempt one thing a bit of bit lighter in tone? Do you attempt one thing geographically completely different? Anyhow, the choices are big, and I believe we’ll be creating two or three titles on the identical time in competitors for the second [installment].
DEADLINE: Dare I say that the notorious AMC bake-off is again?
JOHNSON: I don’t. By the best way, I believe I could have escaped that, and there are a selection of individuals I do know who will rattling AMC due to that bake-off course of. It was, to their credit score, discontinued, nevertheless it was a reasonably powerful technique to do it.
Look, I’ve been at AMC because the begin of my tv profession. I did a few issues at CBS years in the past, however not simply with Breaking Unhealthy, however Halt and Catch Hearth and Rectify, two reveals I’m terribly happy with. I’ve been there lengthy sufficient that virtually the entire administration has modified. The constant participant is Ben Davis, who began as a improvement government once we have been doing Breaking Unhealthy and now runs manufacturing. I couldn’t be extra happy and fairly frankly, grateful, that I’m at AMC.
DEADLINE: Is it attainable so that you can go modern with Nice American Tales or will you be sticking to classics?
JOHNSON: Positive. I used to be speaking about one thing sooner or later– and I do not know what the rights scenario is — might we do one thing like A Confederacy of Dunces? I’m an enormous Walker Percy fan. There are some actually good, not simply twentieth century, however finish of twentieth century writers, some extraordinary folks, be it [John] Cheever. It’s simply this nice alternative, you’ve got all these titles.
‘The Holdovers’ (L-R): Dominic Sessa, Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Pleasure Randolph
Seacia Pavao /Focus Options /Courtesy Everett Assortment
‘Black Vault’ & Adapting ‘Galaxy Quest’, ‘The Holdovers’ & ‘What Lies Beneath’ For TV
DEADLINE: Below your AMC deal, are you engaged on something that may be a model new IP or simply one thing completely different than Anne Rice and Nice American Tales?
JOHNSON: We’re undoubtedly creating different issues, we’ve got some writers. Look, for a producer, writers are his or her lifeblood, a few of my finest associates are writers. Individuals come to me on a regular basis, or I’ll go to them with an concept, writers I worth. So we’ve got a few issues in improvement at AMC that don’t have anything to do with franchises.
DEADLINE: Something you possibly can point out?
JOHNSON: There’s one thing referred to as Black Vault that I’m doing with an exquisite author named Vinnie Wilhelm. For me as a producer, it’s a non-exclusive deal, it’s a first-look deal. So I’ve a few issues .We’re creating our film, Galaxy Quest, as a TV sequence. However the bulk of my work is clearly with AMC. And never as a result of I’ve a deal there; it might be my first cease it doesn’t matter what.
DEADLINE: What’s the standing of the long-gestating Galaxy Quest sequence at Paramount+? And I consider you even have been creating a TV sequence primarily based on The Holdovers.
JOHNSON: Each are being written, so we’ll see.
DEADLINE: Some other film titles out of your physique of labor that you’re taking a look at or have been approached about doing for TV? Sooner or later The Pocket book will in all probability lend itself to a restricted sequence someplace.
JOHNSON: Yeah, there was, after all, the Broadway play. We’re speaking. We’re very excited in regards to the concept of possibly doing a tv present — I’m unsure I ought to say this however I’m going to — our film What Lies Beneath, that would lend itself to an excellent, maybe restricted, maybe not, TV present.
DEADLINE: Is there any of your film titles that you would do for AMC or are all of them tied up at completely different studios?
JOHNSON: Most of them are. There’s one thing that I’m speaking to AMC this week about, however I can’t let you know.
Cameos, Retirement & Contracting TV Budgets
DEADLINE: Have you ever completed cameos in your reveals? Do you’ve got curiosity in doing that?
JOHNSON: No, I’ve no curiosity in any respect. I had a small half in Good Morning, Vietnam. I had a small half in The Pocket book, a small half in a few others. I hate it, it drives me loopy. I grew up in Spain, of all locations, and on the time, they have been making American and British movies there. I began working as an additional, after which I had a few small elements. However no, that’s not an ambition of mine, and never one thing I take pleasure in doing.
Mark Johnson behind the scenes on ‘Mayfair Witches’ Season 2
Skip Bolen/AMC
DEADLINE: Your profession has spanned greater than 4 a long time on two continents throughout movie and TV. Are you occupied with slowing down at any level, take pleasure in golf and retirement? How lengthy are you planning to go on full pace?
JOHNSON: You understand what, Nellie, I take pleasure in it a lot I don’t know why I’d step down. And I don’t play golf. I’m in all probability probably the most boring individual I do know, as a result of my passion is motion pictures and tv. I am going to cinemas two or 3 times per week. I went downtown to Alamo Drafthouse to see Serpico. And a few days earlier than I used to be watching The Dialog on the Egyptian.
I acquired a graduate diploma in movie scholarship, historical past, principle and criticism — not movie manufacturing — and I used to be going to show it earlier than I acquired concerned. You may’t discuss to me about a lot exterior of the movie and tv worlds as a result of I I’m too busy being attentive to all of that world. I actually love doing what I’m doing, so long as I really feel that I’m doing it properly and am considerably related, I’m going to maintain doing it.
DEADLINE: What’s subsequent for you on the movie facet?
JOHNSON: I’m working with a director who you’ll know, placing collectively one thing that we’re going to start out taking pictures by the top of the yr.
DEADLINE: AMC and the complete business have modified lots since Breaking Unhealthy. What’s your tackle the place tv goes? Are you optimistic about the way forward for TV storytelling and TV producers? There’s concern that they could turn out to be extinct as a result of new compensation fashions.
JOHNSON: Yeah, the producers’ plight is a troublesome one proper now, and there are a selection of us, a quantity or organizations, together with Producers United, making an attempt to defend, not simply the producers themselves, however what a producer does. It appears to be undervalued lately and is taken up generally by individuals who aren’t producers, and I believe the method and sometimes the product suffers from it.
I’m not going to say something unique, it’s an evolving world. I used to be fortunate in that I used to be a function movie producer who actually, because of Breaking Unhealthy, tailored and accepted the tv world. You’re utilizing completely different muscle tissues, and it’s so satisfying. I’m so fortunate as a result of I can do a function every now and then, and these tv reveals, which I really take pleasure in doing. The challenges are completely different, and so they preserve me on my toes.
I believe what we’re going by proper now, all people’s complaining about budgets, nevertheless it’s only a redirection. I believe it’s setting the scales again to zero as a result of we have been spending, fairly frankly, approach an excessive amount of on so many reveals.
At AMC, we don’t have the identical budgets a number of the streamers have, nevertheless it really forces you to be extra imaginative, extra resourceful. So I’d level at each seasons of Interview With the Vampire and dare anyone to say these aren’t actually spectacularly made items of filmmaking.
And we made them on a stage that I believe, as soon as once more, I don’t suppose we’re misspending any cash, and I don’t suppose something wanted to be as costly because it has been previously. Clearly, if you happen to’re doing Shōgun, there’s a sure sum of money that it’s important to spend, however I do suppose all the pieces’s acquired approach out of whack, and I don’t bemoan the truth that it’s correcting itself now.
DEADLINE: So being a producer remains to be a viable career within the post-peak TV panorama?
JOHNSON: Sure, and partly, I don’t even know how you can discuss it financially. I can simply say it’s a viable career as a result of it’s immensely satisfying. There’s so many nice creators, so many function administrators, so many nice showrunners, and I wish to assist them make no matter it’s they wish to make inside the parameters that got. Some days are harder than others, however I really like what I’m doing,
