Paramount+ "Loses" 'Heist 88' Film To Showtime Amidst Several Network Moves

Looks like there's one Paramount+ original movie off the table. But it'll certainly be around. Heist 88, starring Courtney B. Vance, is no longer a Paramount+ film, and is instead moving to Showtime.

Heist 88 stars Courtney B. Vance as Jeremy Horne, a criminal mastermind who in 1988 decides on one last job before he begins his prison sentence. He enlists four young bankers to rob nearly $80 million dollars through a sophisticated exploit of the banking wire system. It's written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran and directed by Menhaj Huda, and co-stars Keith David, Keesha Sharp, Xavier Clyde, Bentley Green, Nican Robinson and Precious Way. Vance's production company with his wife Angela Bassett is producing, with several other companies involved. By becoming a Showtime original film, it follows Ray Donovan: The Movie and possibly heralds a resurgence of original movies for the channel, which they had gone 14 years without when they had been a staple in the decades prior.

In other positive news, Homeland star Mandy Patinkin is returning to the network, bringing his wife Kathryn Grody to co-star in the comedy series Seasoned. Six episodes have been ordered, and is inspired by their relationship. It is co-created and co-written by their son Gideon Grody-Patinkin and Ewen Wright. The three of the family also serve as executive producers.

Unfortunately, the network has passed on another comedy The Wood, based on the 1999 film, and it will be shopped. It is described as an "honest look at friendship and dating from the perspective of three young Black males born and raised in the gentrifying L.A. suburb of Inglewood". In addition, Showtime has exited the late night talk sphere with its cancellation of Ziwe, hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, after two seasons and eighteen episodes. It leaves I Love That for You, which has only aired a single season, as the last remaining current Showtime series with an unknown fate, but it's got a lot of internal support.

But why all this upheaval? In January, it was announced that Showtime will be integrated into Paramount+, to whom it's been bundled with since August 2022, across both streaming and linear later this year and renamed as Paramount+ with Showtime. It was also revealed that Showtime as a production arm will merge with MTV Entertainment Studios. This was very much the cause of such cancellations like Ziwe, which follows of Let the Right One In. American Gigolo, and The L Word: Generation Q. And like The Wood, they relinquished King Shaka just the other day, Three Women, which landed at Starz, and Ripley, which moved to Netflix. It therefore stands to reason that these moves shape what the linear network will look like bearing the Paramount+ name, bringing forth the new regime's vision. It's what's on Paramount+ (with Showtime).

Source: Deadline