Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty, Miss Sloane, Molly’s Game) is set to star as country music legend Tammy Wynette in George & Tammy, a new miniseries being developed for Spectrum Originals and Paramount Network, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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The drama chronicles the country music power couple, Wynette and George Jones, whose complicated relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time. George & Tammy is based on the book The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George, written by Wynette and Jones’ daughter Georgette Jones.
“I first read Abe’s feature script a few years ago and couldn’t get it out of my head — the examination of human frailty and redemption was so unexpected, given the glitz and glamour of the subject matter,” said Katherine Pope, head of Spectrum Originals. “We all thought we knew who Tammy Wynette was, but there is so much more to her that we never saw. Jessica brings her incredible depth of intelligence, empathy and strength to peel back all the layers of this country superstar.”
“I’ve been a massive fan of George and Tammy’s iconic music since I was a kid, leading me to chase this incredible script by Abe for years,” said Keith Cox, President of ViacomCBS’ Entertainment & Youth Studios. “It’s a dream come true to have Jessica at the forefront of the complex tale behind Tammy Wynette. We are thrilled to share this series about two legends with the world on ViacomCBS forthcoming streaming service and Paramount Network.”
Pick up your copy of the book here!
Wynette’s most successful song, “Stand by Your Man,” ranks as one of the most iconic and best-selling country singles by a female artist. Known as the “First Lady of Country Music,” Wynette had 20 #1 songs on the country charts and her marriage to country superstar Jones in 1969 brought about iconic duets like “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Golden Ring,” and “Near You.”
“I am humbled to bring this incredible story to life with the breadth it deserves and that the Charter platforms allow,” creator Abe Sylvia said. “Tammy Wynette is an American icon, and I can think of no one better to illuminate the woman behind the legend than Jessica Chastain. After having the honor of penning The Eyes of Tammy Faye for Freckle Films and Searchlight, I so look forward to another collaboration with her. This has indeed been a passion project for Andrew, Josh, and me — and we are so grateful to our partners Katherine Pope, Keith Cox, and David Glasser for tirelessly championing our labor of love.”
Spectrum will have the series exclusively for nine months before the limited series streams on CBS All Access. Paramount Network will serve as the linear home for the series after Spectrum’s exclusive window ends.
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Abe Sylvia (Dead to Me) created the series and will executive produce along with Andrew Lazar (American Sniper), Josh Brolin, and Chastain. Additional executive producers include David Glasser, David Hutkin, and Bob Yari from 101 Studios along with series writer Bryan Golubuff.
(Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
