HBO has fired showrunner Cynthia Mort from the upcoming Diane Keaton–starring show Tilda — about a “a powerful female online showbiz journalist with a no-holds-barred reporting style†— over clashes with Keaton and producer Bill Condon (which is highly ironic given that Nikki Finke, the blogger who inspired the possible series, is so famously agreeable). EW’s Michael Ausiello reports that the final straw came with a nasty e-mail sent by Mort to production staff in which she said, “Condon and Keaton didn’t know what they were doing and the show was going to fail.†A source says Condon is looking for a new showrunner, but, while HBO isn’t yet ready to give up on Tilda (“They love Diane — Emmy in the bag — and Ellen Pageâ€), “development was rushed and the general feeling is the show doesn’t click.†Bummer.
Backstage Drama Erupts at HBO’s Show-biz Themed Tilda as Showrunner Exits [Ausiello Files/EW]