IFC Greenlights Original Comedy Series From Will Ferrell, Adam McKay

IFC has greenlit the original scripted comedy The Spoils of Babylon produced by Funny or Die. Putting their talent behind the show as executive producers are Will Ferrell (Anchorman), Adam McKay (Step Brothers), Matt Piedmont (Casa de mi Padre), who also directs and Andrew Steele (Saturday Night Live), who wrote the script. The Spoils of Babylon is a television adaptation of a best-selling epic novel by fictional famous author Eric Jonrosh (played by Ferrell) and will feature an ensemble cast to be announced later. The blowsy century-spanning saga chronicles the sexy and dramatic lives of a family who made their fortune in the oil business. IFC has ordered six, half-hour episodes to premiere in late 2013. "This is a crazy and maybe even a stupid idea," says Will Ferrell. "IFC is either really courageous or really stupid which makes them the perfect partner for us," he added.

In the vein of The Thorn Birds and Winds of War, the epic story of The Spoils of Babylon spans three generations, taking viewers from the oil fields of Texas to boardrooms in New York City, through world war battlefields and velvet sheeted bedrooms. As the story unfolds, the booze, the passion and the heartache lead to illegal arms deals and international espionage with the Shah of Iran not to mention the creation of the doomed sub-prime market.

"The opportunity to partner with Funny or Die and this enormously accomplished team known for their genre-bending, over-the-top satire immediately drew us to this project," said Jennifer Caserta, IFC's president and general manager. "We couldn't have found better talent to parody this genre of television."

About IFC

IFC creates and champions authentic, original comedies that are "Always On. Slightly Off," which air alongside an extraordinary collection of films and comedic cult TV shows. IFC.com features exclusive video, web series, podcasts, blogs and additional content that engages fans with IFC originals. The network's On Demand offering, IFC Free, gives viewers the opportunity to watch select content from IFC whenever they want. Established in 1994, IFC is owned and operated by AMC Networks Inc. and is available in over 70 million homes on every major cable, satellite and TelCo provider.

About Funny or Die

Funny Or Die launched in April 2007 and has become an award-winning top destination for comedy on the web. The site has over 19 million unique users per month, over 60 million video views per month, and has grown into a vertically integrated 21st century digital studio that produces high quality content over numerous platforms, operating a social media and marketing division with over 5.5 million Twitter followers (#1 Comedy Brand), approximately 2 million Facebook fans, and devoted followers on numerous social networking and sharing sites. Funny Or Die has become the "place to be seen" for comedic celebrities, and the obvious destination for a daily comedy fix. Funny Or Die's founders are Gary Sanchez Productions (Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy), Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Randy Adams and Michael Kvamme. Judd Apatow is also a principal partner in Funny Or Die.

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