MGM+ Pulls Back the Curtain

Today, MGM+ shared a first look at the heartfelt comedy series starring Academy Award-winner Kevin Kline, Academy Award-nominated and Emmy Award-winning actress Laura Linney and SAG Award-nominated Jon Tenney, about a family full of drama, American Classic, co-created by Michael Hoffman and Bob Martin. From FIFTH SEASON with Mar-Key Pictures and Likely Story producing and Anonymous Content, American Classic will premiere Sunday, March 1, 2026 with the first two episodes, followed by a weekly release leading into the season finale on Sunday, April 12, 2026.

Tony Award, Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award-winning actor Tony Shalhoub joins the series as Alvy, who is Richard’s (Kevin Kline) long-time New York agent and possibly his only friend. Additionally, Tony Award-winners Aaron Tveit and Stephen Spinella join an acclaimed cast. Spinella will portray Xander,  a highly influential theatre critic who was once a fan of Richard, but has now become a thorn in his side panning one performance after another. He has become one with the critical voice in Richard’s head and Richard hates him for it. Tveit will play Troy, who is Xander’s handsome, younger partner who is fiercely protective of Xander. Additional cast members include Tony Award-winners Len Cariou, Jane Alexander, Jessica Hecht, as well as Nell Verlaque, Billy Carter, Elise Kibler,  Ajay Friese and Mark Linn-Baker.

American Classic tells the story of Broadway star Richard Bean who suffers a spectacular public meltdown and returns home to the family theater where he first became aware of his own brilliance. Once there, his extreme behavior sets off a series of crises among those closest to him: his ex-girlfriend (now the town’s mayor) married to his brother, his brother himself, and his beloved niece who dreams of a life in the theater. As old loves resurface and buried secrets emerge, Richard must confront the consequences of his past actions and the family and town he left behind for fame and glamour. Each season follows a different Richard Bean production that will reflect the stories unfolding in the lovable but flawed Bean family and the transformative power of making art.

Hoffman, Martin, and Ellen Fairey serve as executive producers alongside non-writing EPs Leslie Urdang, Anthony Bregman, Miriam Mintz, Kevin Kline, Laura Linney, and Jon Tenney. Garrett Kemble, Kevin Cotter, Todd Sharp and Jill Arthur also EP. David Levine is a Co-Executive Producer.

About Fifth Season
Fifth Season is a global creative powerhouse specializing in the development, production, financing, and distribution of premium films, television series, and documentaries. Known for its talent-centric approach, the company has produced and distributed critically acclaimed films such as 80 for Brady, Book Club, and The Lost Daughter, as well as award-winning series like Severance, Nine Perfect Strangers, Omnivore and Tokyo Vice. Fifth Season operates with a full-service worldwide distribution infrastructure and boasts a vast network of production hubs across North America, Europe, and Asia. The company’s roster of high-profile collaborators includes Oscar, BAFTA, and Emmy®-nominated and winning creators, top-tier talent, and major global distributors.

In addition to its successful slate of original productions, Fifth Season’s distribution arm handles an impressive third-party library of hundreds of titles, including hit series such as Killing Eve, The Morning Show, and The Night Manager. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, New York, and London, with offices worldwide. Shareholders include CJ ENM, Toho, and Endeavor.

About Mar-Key Pictures
Mar-Key Pictures is a film and television production company helmed by Leslie Urdang whose feature credits include the Award-winning Beginners (Academy, Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA Awards for Christopher Plummer, Gotham Award winner for Best Picture), Rabbit Hole (Academy and Golden Globe nomination for Nicole Kidman), The Seagull starring Annette Bening, and Saoirse Ronan, (2019 Women’s Image Network Award), John Patrick Shanley’s Wild Mountain Thyme starring Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Jon Hamm and Christopher Walken, A Midsummer Night¹s Dream, directed by Michael Hoffman, starring Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Calista Flockhart, Stanley Tucci, and Christian Bale, The Oranges starring Hugh Laurie, Allison Janney and Oliver Platt, Thanks for Sharing starring Mark Ruffalo, The Family Fang starring Nicole Kidman and Jason Bateman, Adam, starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, Game Six starring Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr, Twelve and Holding, starring Jeremy Renner, The Great New Wonderful, The Narrows, Me and Veronica starring Elizabeth McGovern and Patricia Wettig, and People I Know starring Al Pacino.

About Likely Story
Likely Story is a bi-coastal film and television production company founded by Anthony Bregman and Stefanie Azpiazu in 2006. Their films have won awards at the Oscars, Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Gothams, Indie Spirits, and Cannes, Berlin, Tribeca and Sundance Film Festivals, among others.

In TV, Likely Story executive produced the series “Living With Yourself”, and re-teamed with John Carney on the second season of “Modern Love”. Likely Story’s films include the product of years-long relationships with filmmakers such as John Carney, Nicole Holofcener, Charlie Kaufman, and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, and includes the Academy Award-winning “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, “Foxcatcher”, “Sing Street”, “Do Revenge”, “In the Heights”, “Things Heard and Seen”, “Indignation”, “Begin Again”, “Enough Said”, “American Ultra”, “Our Idiot Brother”, “Synecdoche, New York”, “Please Give”, “The Savages”, “Lovely & Amazing”, “Thumbsucker”, “Collateral Beauty”, “The Circle”, “The Land of Steady Habits”, “Private Life”, “Topside”, “The Half of It”, “Every Secret Thing”, “The Whole Truth”, “Wild Mountain Thyme”, “Downhill”,  “Someone Great”, and many others – most recently “Come Closer” written and directed by Tom Nesher, “Flora and Son” written and directed by John Carney, “Eileen” directed by William Oldroyd, and “You Hurt My Feelings” written and directed by Nicole Holofcener.

Likely Story’s upcoming 2026 releases include “Power Ballad” written and directed by John Carney, David Wain’s upcoming “Gail Daughtry and The Celebrity Sex Pass”, and “You Deserve Each Other” directed by Abby Kohn and Marc Silverstein, and “Brides” written and directed by Chloe Okuno.

About Anonymous Content
Anonymous Content is a global media company that produces premium content and boasts an exceptional roster of renowned directors, writers, and actors. Its award-winning Film, TV, and Documentary division, AC Studios, has delivered critically acclaimed works, including Academy Award and Emmy winners such as The Revenant, Spotlight, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Mr. Robot, along with Golden Globe-nominated recent projects The Nickel Boys, True Detective: Season 4, Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer, and upcoming series East of Eden starring Florence Pugh, and Neuromancer starring Callum Turner. Anonymous Content also operates internationally through co-ventures and partnerships. Through its Commercial division, the company continues to create campaigns for leading global brands. For more information, visit www.anonymouscontent.com.