“Jersey Shore” star Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is entering real crime territory with a “Statute of Limitations,” TheWrap has learned exclusively.
co-produced by filmrise and Grinning Dog Entertainment, described the series as a “lightweight” take on the true crime genre. Hosted by Sorrentino, “The Statute of Limitations” follows everyday people who have committed non-violent crimes where – title drop – the statute of limitations has passed, allowing them to speak openly about it How did he escape the law? Watch the first trailer for the series above.
“This is a one-of-a-kind series that includes crimes openly discussed by those who ‘got away with it,’ as well as series host Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino’s unique style of humor that takes the normal brings lightness to a classically dark genre,” said Max Einhorn, senior vice president of acquisitions and co-productions for FilmRise, in a press release. “That combination with Mike’s highly engaged global fan base will help deliver a large audience for the series.”
“Having Filmrise, a leading leader in the true-crime space, and ‘The Situation’, a true icon within the reality-TV space, as partners will bring immediate success to this program. We look forward to sharing this unique program with avid true crime fans around the world,” said Brian Ferretti, co-founder and principal of Grinning Dog Entertainment.
“The Statute of Limitations” will consist of 10 half-hour episodes. Filmrise will have all rights to the series in all media worldwide. Einhorn will executive produce the series for Filmrise alongside CEO Danny Fischer. Ferretti and co-founder Adam Kaloustian will be executive producers for Grinning Dog Entertainment, and Puraj Puri and Kyle Thomas will be EPs for Octagon.
As far as Sorrentino’s criminal credentials go, in 2014 the reality star was charged with tax fraud for non-payment of taxes on $8.9 million. Four years later, Sorrentino pleaded guilty to the charges as part of a plea deal and was sentenced to eight months in prison. He was also given two years’ supervised probation and ordered to perform 500 hours of community service.
FilmRise has become one of the largest independent content providers of ad-supported streaming platforms, also known as AVOD. The streamer can be found on several major platforms including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Comcast, iOS, Android, and Apple. Beginning in 2020, the Brooklyn-based studio began producing original content with a specific focus on true crime. “Bloodline Detectives Hosted by Nancy Grace,” “Meet, Mary, Murder with Michelle Trachtenberg,” “Making a Serial Killer” and the PBS documentary series “Icon: Music Through the Lens” were all produced by FilmRise.
