Tensions Rock HBO's Project

Tilda, an HBO series in development from gay director Bill Condon about powerful Hollywood journalist Nikki Finke, is rife with real-life drama from booted showrunner Cynthia Mort, writer of the Jodie Foster film The Brave One.

According to Entertainment Weekly, “Showrunner Cynthia Mort has been removed from Tilda after a tense pilot shoot in which she frequently clashed with executive producer/director Bill Condon and got into public scuffles with Diane Keaton, who plays a powerful online journalist who covers the entertainment industry.”

Tilda is loosely based on Finke, founder of Deadline.com.

EW reports that HBO asked Mort not to return to the set, which prompted her to send an “ugly, nasty email” that said the show would fail. The network would not comment for the story.

Despite the problems, HBO may still order the show to series, reports EW. Condon is close to hiring a new showrunner and assembling another team. The show also stars Ellen Page, Jason Patric, and Sanaa Lathan.