Live-Action Limited Series, Currently in Development, Adapts Scholastic Middle-Grade Memoir

Universal City, CA – August 24, 2022 – Amblin Television is partnering with Scholastic Entertainment, the media division of Scholastic, and Marlee Matlin’s Solo One Productions to co-develop and co-produce a new live-action limited series based on the powerful Scholastic middle-grade memoir, Signs of Survival: A Memoir of the Holocaust, by Renee Hartman and written by Joshua M. Greene. This gripping true story is a testament to the power of sisterhood and love, and a reminder of how important it is to honor the past and keep telling our own stories.

Signs of Survival: A Memoir of the Holocaust tells the true story of Renee and Herta, two sisters who faced the unimaginable…together. As Jews living in 1940s Czechoslovakia, Renee, Herta, and their parents were in immediate danger when the Holocaust came to their door. As the only hearing person in her family, Renee had to alert her parents and sister whenever the sound of Nazi boots approached their home so they could hide. But soon their parents were tragically taken away, and the two sisters went on the run, desperate to find a safe place to hide. Communicating in sign language and relying on each other for strength, Renee and Herta would have to fight to survive the darkest of times. 

Amblin has optioned the project, currently in development, with Scholastic Entertainment and Solo One Productions attached to produce. Oscar®-winning actress, producer, and New York Times bestselling author Marlee Matlin will executive produce alongside Jack Jason for Solo One Productions. Presidents of Amblin Television Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey (The Americans, Masters of the Air) will executive produce for Amblin with SVP Alex Maggioni working alongside them to shepherd the project. Scholastic Entertainment President Iole Lucchese (Clifford the Big Red Dog), SVP & General Manager Caitlin Friedman (Caster), and VP of TV Development Jef Kaminsky (Stillwater) will executive produce for Scholastic Entertainment.

Recognized most-recently for her role in CODA, which won Best Picture at this year’s Oscars®, Matlin won her own Academy Award® starring in Children of a Lesser God, and is known for her Emmy®-nominated television work including Picket Fences, Seinfeld, and The Practice, as well as The West Wing, The L Word, and Switched at Birth. 

“As a Deaf, Jewish woman, I have been on a quest to find an authentic and never before told story of the Holocaust,” said Matlin. “This true story, based on the real-life events of two sisters, one Deaf and one hearing, inspired me even more to bring the story to the screen.”

“Renee and Herta’s story is harrowing and heart wrenching, and a powerful reminder of the importance of inter-generational storytelling,” said Frank and Falvey. “The ultimate hope is that thoughtful reflection on the past may foster a kinder future. We are fortunate to share this story alongside Marlee and Scholastic.”  

“Scholastic is committed to sharing stories both in books and on screen that inspire and inform, so that all children can learn about themselves as well as the bigger world around them,” added Lucchese. “With Signs of Survival, a heroic story of two sisters surviving the Holocaust, Scholastic is proud to bring that ethos to deaf and hearing communities everywhere. There is no one we would rather partner with to tell this story than Marlee Matlin.” 

About Amblin Television

Amblin Television, a long-time leader in quality programming, is a division of Amblin Partners, a content creation company led by Steven Spielberg. Amblin Television’s Presidents, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey, oversee all development, production and programming for the company. Amblin Television currently has fifteen projects in various stages of production and release, including season two of Resident Alien for SYFY, Halo and Fatal Attraction for Paramount+, Billy the Kid for Epix, Masters of the Air for Apple, a third season of Animaniacs for Hulu, season four of Roswell, New Mexico for The CW, two seasons of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai for HBO Max, two seasons of Tiny Toons Looniversity for HBO Max and Cartoon Network, and documentaries Big Vape for Netflix, Good Night Oppy for Amazon Prime Video, and Mama’s Boy an adaptation of Oscar-winner Dustin Lance Black’s autobiography. 

Amblin Television also produced the Emmy, Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winning drama The Americans for FX, the Golden Globe-nominated and double Emmy Award-winning mini-series Into the West for TNT, Emmy-winning documentary series Why We Hate for Discover, the Emmy-nominated HBO movie All The Way starring Bryan Cranston, Smash for NBC, Under the Dome for CBS, Falling Skies for TNT, The Borgias and The United States of Tara for Showtime, and Las Vegas for NBC.

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About Scholastic Entertainment 

Scholastic Entertainment brings high-quality, family-oriented content across multiple platforms to audiences of all ages. Among its award-winning productions are the animated series CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG for Amazon and PBS, a live-action CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG feature for Paramount, STILLWATER, an animated series for Apple, and three live-action TV movies for Hallmark. Scholastic Entertainment continues to build celebrated children’s brands worldwide by bringing both nostalgic Scholastic properties and exciting new voices to the screen. Some of its recent projects include a 39 CLUES live-action series with Amblin, a MAGIC SCHOOL BUS live- action feature with Elizabeth Banks and Marc Platt Entertainment for Universal, and CASTER, a live-action feature in development with Academy Award winner, Akiva Goldsman, Josephson Entertainment and Paramount. Scholastic Entertainment is the media division of Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL), the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, a leading provider of core literacy curriculum and professional services, and a producer of educational and entertaining children's media.

About Solo One Productions

Solo One Productions was founded in 1990 by Academy Award winning and Emmy nominated actress, author and activist, Marlee Matlin. Its mission is to bring diverse and authentic stories to the large and small screen.  Past projects include “Where The Truth Lies” with Academy Award winner Regina King for A&E and the young teen comedy “Eddie's Million Dollar Cook Off” for Disney. Currently, Solo One Is in development on several films and streaming television projects with the aim of bringing together universal stories while including underrepresented subjects.

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Press Contact:

Matt Andrée Wiltens

maw@amblinpartners.com