TNT, Sarah Jessica Parker’s Pretty Matches and Refinery29 have suspended production on the planned unscripted series Who Rules the World (working title), which had been co-produced by Morgan Spurlock’s Warrior Poets and executive produced by the documentarymaker. The decision follows Spurlock’s public admission of sexual misconduct earlier this week. The series, which tackles women’s issues, did not have a premiere date and was in early stages of production. Its future will be “reevaluated.”
“In light of recent revelations, Pretty Matches and Refinery29 are severing ties with Morgan Spurlock,” the two companies said in a statement to Deadline. “We stand in solidarity with the victims. We are suspending production on Who Rules the World (working title) to reevaluate the best path forward for the project, and are more determined than ever to share women’s stories through this series.”
Added TNT, “Production on Who Rules the World (working title) has been suspended until further review.”
Who Rules the World (fka Who Run The World? ) — originally from Warrior Poets and Parker’s Pretty Matches Productions, in partnership with Refinery29 and in association with Turner’s Studio T — centers on the most divisive and complicated issues facing women today, from the policing of their bodies and judgments of their family planning choices, to the micro-aggressions they face in the media, the workplace and everyday life.
Thank you TNT, Refinery 29 and Pretty Matches for standing with the victims. Ask the many women who worked on any Morgan Spurlock production about how they were intimidated, mistreated, belittled and demoralized. I know because I was one of them. Look closely at the ‘Good cop – Bad cop’ culture at the Warrior Poets office. Morgan was the star who whisked into a room and made everyone who worked there feel ‘special’ but then his producing partner Jeremy Chilnick would do the dirty work hiring and firing without a moments hesitation and blaming the female producers and directors instead of owning up to their immature and underwhelming filmmaking skills. They have their power trip of a head game perfected. Let’s blame the women who worked on our projects and fire them instead of trying to create a more inclusive environment. TOTAL BRO CULTURE over there. Disgusting. Good riddance.
I haven’t read what the issues with Spurlock are but some of the people and projects being thrown under the bus are doing more harm than a lot of the accusations. Some of this is deserved but we’re hitting the point where the mere mention of an accusation is getting the maximum reaction before any kind of verification is being made. I’m all for believing the victims but every accuser isn’t a victim. We’re already seeing this used to settle scores that have nothing to do with sexual or any other kind of misconduct. We don’t have to pump the brakes with both feet but we need to at least tap ’em a little.