• by Fern Siegel , December 21, 2015

American Media, which publishes magazines such as OK!, National Enquirer, Men’s Fitness, is teaming with the Weinstein Company to develop original TV, film and digital efforts.

The creative will be based on AMI’s publishing portfolio.

“All AMI celebrated celebrity titles are being leveraged,” says Dylan Howard, AMI's vice president and Chief Content Officer.

AMI claims its magazines have a combined total circulation of 2.1+ million, while its digital properties reach 50 million unique visitors monthly.

He told Media Daily News there has been a “positive response to our initial development efforts for Radar Online and The National Enquirer, making the decision to expand the effort to the full roster of celebrity titles very easy.”

Stephen Land, Chief Executive of Jupiter Entertainment, along with Howard, will handle distribution and production.

AMI Chairman David J. Pecker called the alliance part of the “continuing evolution” of American Media as it establishes itself as a “next-generation multimedia company.”

The plan is to focus on unscripted fare, with a reality show to be announced shortly.

"Producers have long relied on the investigative reporting from our magazines as source material to create nonfiction television," stated Howard. He added the partnership would produce the most “authoritative programming in the category."

Will any AMI staffers participate in the shows?

“We'll see how things develop. David Pecker has made it a priority to build a team here that could execute across multiple platforms and one that combines a unique ability to not only uncover the biggest scoops in Hollywood, but deliver them to the reader no matter the platform,” he adds.

Jupiter, founded in 1996 by Land and part-owned by European pay television operator Sky, produces nonscripted shows, including Animal Planet's "Wild West Alaska," Oxygen's "Snapped" and Investigation Discovery's "Homicide Hunter.”

The Weinstein Company, in addition to its Oscar-winning films, has an unscripted TV production division. It’s currently producing the longtime hit “Project Runway.”