Project Runway is one of the most reliable shows on cable television, bringing consistent big ratings for the Lifetime channel. But Monday’s bankruptcy filing by The Weinstein Company, which produces the program, could mean the fashion reality show is on the outs.
The current season of Project Runway: All Stars, hosted by Heidi Klum, will finish, of course, and another season of the show is already completed and waiting to air. But The Wrap reports it’s uncertain if additional seasons will be shot, due to the ongoing financial and PR problems at the company.
Weinstein wasn’t directly involved in Project Runway himself. Two other executives oversaw the show. But with the company’s future at risk, things are very much at a wait-and-see stage.
Weinstein’s ex-wife, English fashion designer Georgina Chapman, has been a judge on Project Runway: All Stars since 2012.
While several networks have distanced themselves from The Weinstein Company amid the sexual harassment scandal, it’s still possible the production house will sell its television division to a rival, which could keep Project Runway and other shows alive. In 2015, British broadcaster ITV nearly bought the unit for $1 billion.
ITV walked away from the deal, feeling the valuation was too high. But with The Weinstein Company in bankruptcy, the price could be considerably lower now.