Exclusive: Earlier this year, in Steven Soderbergh‘s annual Seen, Read list—where the filmmaker details everything he watched or read in the year—the “Contagion” and ‘Oceans’ trilogy director unveiled a new venture he shot called “The Pendulum Project.” What is it exactly? Well, Soderbergh didn’t say, but his Seen, Read list did reveal the enterprise was a TV series, making it the third film or TV project he shot in 2022, alongside “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” and the HBO Max mini-series “Full Circle.”
So, what is it exactly? Well, we’ve learned some details from sources familiar with the project. For one, “The Pendulum Project” comes from celebrated American author, journalist, essayist, and radio host Kurt Anderson, known as one of the editors of the beloved satirical Spy magazine, several novels, non-fiction works like “Evil Geniuses” and “Fantasyland,” and various TV and screenwriting gigs (he and filmmaker Morgan Neville at one point had been trying to develop “Fantasyland” into an unscripted TV series, for example).
Plot details are mostly under wraps, but those with knowledge about the series describe it as a satire with sci-fi aspects to it. ‘Pendulum’ was primarily shot in New York, in and around Tribeca. The cast includes Michael Cera and comedian Roy Wood Jr. (“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah”), who appear in every episode, and Liev Schreiber also has a role.
“The Pendulum Project” was shot quickly in between shooting “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” and “Full Circle,” but unlike those projects, it was independently financed. The plan, as of now, is to shop it around, likely to a streamer or cable channel once it’s finished (Soderbergh has made a point to test drive most of the streamers by working with most of the major ones, HBO Max, Netflix, Amazon, etc., and seeing how they fit, operate, etc.).
Soderbergh’s longtime filmmaking friend Greg Mottola, known for “Superbad” and the recent “Confess, Fletch” comedy (Soderbergh produced his debut, “The Daytrippers”), was also involved. While there were some conversations about Mottola also directing some episodes, he eventually took on a more producorial and logistical role; he was part of the team throughout, in pre-production and on set every day. It’s unknown what his final credit will be, but perhaps an EP one.
On top of writing for the New York Times, the New Yorker, TIME, and most of the major magazines or papers in the country, Anderson hosted the Peabody-winning public radio program Studio 360, a production of Public Radio International, Slate, and WNYC, for nearly 20 years. While he interviewed the filmmaker several times, in 2011, he interviewed Soderbergh live at the Omaha Performing Arts center, and its largely considered by Soderbergh scholars (folks like us) as the most definitive interview with the director ever (download it here, as it is a must-listen).
It’s unclear when and where “The Pendulum Project” will turn up ultimately, but festival debuts often can spike bidding wars when well-received. So who knows, maybe eventually, that’s an avenue they take when the project is complete. Meanwhile, “Magic Mike’s Last Dance” is due in theaters on February 10, and “Full Circle” has no release date but is expected sometime in the spring-ish on HBO Max. More when we have it. Soderbergh is currently at the Sundance Film this week to discuss “Divinity,” a film he produced, and perhaps more details will be uncovered soon.
