Upcoming Projects Include “Unsung,” Created in Collaboration With The Award-Winning Story Pirates, And “Diane’s Inferno” Starring Actress and Musician Maya Hawke and Interscope Recording Artist Yungblud
LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK – MARCH 2, 2021 – Veteran film producer Jonathan Glickman’s Glickmania Media (RESPECT, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2) and iHeartMedia, the number one podcast publisher globally as per Podtrac, today announced a joint venture that will include a two-year podcast co-production deal, focusing on a slate of original music-driven podcasts across many genres. As part of the deal, Glickmania and iHeartMedia will aim to release a minimum of two new podcasts per year together, which will be available on iHeartRadio and all major podcast platforms.
The collaboration will kick off with this summer’s “Unsung” series, which will be created in partnership with the wildly popular Story Pirates, creators of the number one podcast for kids. Additional co-produced titles will include the horror-musical “Diane’s Inferno” starring Maya Hawke and Yungblud, written and directed by Lisa Duva with original music overseen by executive producer Zach Dawes; “Lost You On The Dance Floor,” a murder mystery set against the rise and fall of the disco phenomenon, penned by renowned music journalist Matt Diehl; and from Jonathan Ezra and Robbie Roth comes the musical drama/journalism series, “Ballad Of An Outlaw,” which considers would-be Reagan assassin John Hinckley Jr.’s integration back into society.
“I believe there’s no better way to communicate a narrative than matching brilliant storytellers with equally talented music composers and performers,” said Glickmania Founder and CEO Jonathan Glickman. “By combining the spectacularly supportive iHeartRadio’s expertise with our deep well of existing relationships, we can support a panorama of experienced and emerging artists in a creative environment that enables everyone to take meaningful ownership of their work in the podcast space and beyond.”
“Glickman is a name that is synonymous with developing some of the most creative and compelling IP in the entertainment space,” said Conal Byrne, CEO, iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group. “They know how to tell stories in totally new ways - and those are the creators we love to support. We are excited to join forces with Glickmania Media to introduce this innovative, music-first slate of podcasts to millions of listeners across the globe.”
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About the slate:
UNSUNG, which will unite Glickman with the number one family podcast creators, the Story Pirates, is described as “Schoolhouse Rock meets Hamilton.” The podcast will create original hip-hop-driven tracks to create mini-musicals telling the stories of under-celebrated heroes across all fields, ranging from trailblazers who made a difference through social change to leaders in the areas of science, sports, and the arts. Enhancing the musical performances, each episode will highlight a different unsung hero through an engaging discussion between a kid and a modern-day expert in that subject’s field. “Unsung” will provide a spectrum of heroes – ranging from tennis player Althea Gibson to early Space Exploration pioneer Mary G. Ross to musician Sister Rosetta Tharpe – their moment to shine in a vibrant podcast using musical storytelling to connect with all generations of listeners.
DIANE’S INFERNO, written and directed by Lisa Duva, is a gender-flipped, horror musical retelling of Dante’s Inferno, set through the modern hellscape of New York’s underworld. Maya Hawke (STRANGER THINGS) voices Diane, a backup singer who crosses the East River, takes the H Train, and fights demons as she seeks vengeance on the killer of her rock star boyfriend, voiced by singer-songwriter Yungblud. Producer Zach Dawes (credits include Lana Del Rey, Sharon Van Etten, Arctic Monkeys) will oversee the music created forthis “Rocky Horror x The Warriors” toned musical.
LOST YOU ON THE DANCE FLOOR is a murder mystery set against the rise and fall of the 1970s Disco era. Acclaimed journalist and author Matt Diehl pens the story of a woman who discovers that her biological father was actually a legendary music impresario who vanished under a cloud of suspicion. Diehl’s work has been seen in every publication from Rolling Stone and Billboard to the New York Times. His book Notorious C.O.P.is being developed into a TV show, and will be produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.
BALLAD OF AN OUTLAW is a part journalism/part fiction podcast about the life of John Hinckley Jr. and the people whose lives collide with his. The anthology series is created by playwright/journalist Jonathan Ezra and writer/composer Robbie Roth, directed by Ezra, and featuring original songs by Roth.
The entire slate will be co-produced by Glickmania Media and iHeartRadio and will be distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network. Executive producers for UNSUNG are Benjamin Salka, Lee Overtree, and Jonathan Glickman; for DIANE’S INFERNO are Glickman and Molly Mankiewicz; for LOST YOU ON THE DANCE FLOOR are Glickman and Matt Diehl; and for BALLAD OF AN OUTLAW are Glickman, Jonathan Ezra, Robbie Roth and Helena Budnik. Matthew Frederick and Alex Williams will executive produce the full slate of shows for iHeartRadio. CAA brokered the deal on behalf of Glickmania.
About Glickmania Media Group
Glickmania is a new vision independent film and television production company, founded in February 2020 by veteran entertainment executive Jonathan Glickman. Glickmania is the natural evolution of Glickman’s continued focus on developing IP in partnership with the industry’s foremost creative talent and most interesting emerging storytellers. Glickman’s deeply rooted foundation and respect for Hollywood innovation and tradition has inspired his determination to explore the creation of properties across all content platforms, including film, television, podcasting and music outlets. Glickmania’s first productions include RESPECT, the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson, THE ADDAMS FAMILY 2 to be released October 9, 2021, WEDNESDAY, a new coming-of-age Netflix comedy series directed by Tim Burton and based on Wednesday Addams, and the film SCANDALOUS!, based on the clandestine affair between Kim Novak and Sammy Davis, Jr, starring Jeremy Pope (Hollywood), to be directed by Janet Mock (Pose).