October 21, 2008
Mad Men' Stars Have No Contracts
According to Fox News, there may not be any more "Mad Men" if deals aren't cut soon.
The popular cult series on AMC about the world of advertising in the early 60s is at a crossroads. Producer Lionsgate and network AMC not only have no contract with series creator Matthew Weiner, they don't have deals with the cast as well.
The network has no agreements with stars Jon Hamm and John Slattery, or any of the other cast members.
Hamm in particular poses a problem since he's turned into a huge break-out star. If "Mad Men" ended right now, the 36-year-old actor could go to movies and easily become the next George Clooney. This puts AMC and Lionsgate in a strange position to renegotiate Hamm's contract. It's going to cost them more than they've probably ever paid for anything.
As for Weiner and the show itself, if Lionsgate and AMC don't come up with the right deal, there's always the chance that "Mad Men" could wind up on another network. HBO would pay just about anything to take it given their disappointing schedule right now.
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