CBS Studios and Stampede Ventures have initiated a partners for the limite-event series "Tango." The project will be ready to debut on the market in early 2022. “When José and Stampede approached me, I was instantly taken by the project and the chance to look closer at one of the biggest scandals of our industry’s history – despite it not being treated as such at the time," Co-driector for the series, Lisa Brühlmann, said. "The opportunity to dive into that world, into all these fascinating characters, and especially the possibility of giving Maria Schneider a voice, is really exciting.”
Alongside Brühlmann is José Padilha, also in charge of co-directing the series, with Greg Silverman and JP Sarni serving as executive producers on behalf of Stampede Ventures. Meghan Lyvers, Senior Vice President of International Co-Productions and Development at CBS Studios, will shepherd the project for the studio. Brühlmann and Padilha are both individually represented by CAA. Padilha is also represented by Management 360 and attorney Sue Bodine at Cowan DeBaets Abrahams and Sheppard. Miller and Cohn are represented by UTA and Kaplan Perrone.
The series, written by Jeremy Miller and Daniel Cohn, will span the 18 months before, during and after the production of Italian auteur Bernardo Bertolucci’s “Last Tango in Paris,” and explore questions of identity, fame, and artistic ambition. Told by individuals involved in the incident, Maria Schneider, Marlon Brando and Bernardo Bertolucci, the story will capture the collision of three people cemented in history by one of the most shocking cinematic incidents of all time. “'Tango'tells the story of two men abusing a young and unexperienced woman, not for sex, but for the sake of art. They did it on camera, and the resulting scene made it into a major feature film, acclaimed by critics and audiences alike," Padilha said. "The director and the actors basked in success, while Maria’s pain was neglected. I’m thrilled to explore a story about the ethics of art, an important but often neglected subject matter, in partnership with director Lisa Brühlmann.”
Set in Italy, France and the U.S., the series will begin with Bertolucci traveling to Los Angeles in 1971 to convince a broken-down and bankrupt Brando to take a role in his upcoming film – a graphic account of sexual obsession, emotional breakdown and murder. During the production’s filming, Bertolucci employed ruthless tactics to capture real emotions that ultimately put the actors in harm’s way. Controversy plagued the film following its release in January of 1973, while Brando and Bertolucci profited significantly, the film garnered adjusted gross of $186 Million, the third highest grossing foreign film to date.