“Remember Land” TV series under development with Tampa producers

The television series, based on his beloved Florida novel “A Land Remembered,” is currently working with a Tampa-based producer.

The work of the historical novel of the late author Patrick D. Smith follows three generations of the poor Georgians of the Earth, the Masivy family. They must plunder bears, hurricanes, Confederate escapees and plunder other adversities.

From the 1860s to the 1960s, Tobias, Zek, and Sol–resilient Masibay built the kingdom first as a cattle rancher, then as a citrus farmer, and ultimately as a land developer. Published in 1984, the novel captures the beauty of Florida’s untouched nature, the connection of Masibayes to it, and their hands paving it.

Tampa’s Todd Wiseman Jr., who produces a limited series, said he fell in love with the book a few years ago and quickly saw the possibility of adaptation.

“I don’t think there’s anything more convincing than thinking about the way you remember your father and how your father remembers you,” he said. “How your actions repeat time, for better or worse — that’s the heart of this story.”

The show must capture the real landscape of Florida, he said. That means doing it independently. When filming in a production-friendly state can save millions, no studio is willing to film a state without tax incentives.

“Hollywood won’t let you make this in Florida,” he said. “But can you imagine creating a “remembered land” in Georgia?

To permanently purchase film and television rights, Wiseman partnered with the brothers Toruett Gardner, a prominent land use lawyer in Tampa, and PJ Gardner, founder of Tampa-based AGW Capital Advisor, to form Tobias LLC. They have since brought together a group of wealthy, connected local investors who have committed to the shepherds of the project, Truett Gardner said.

It’s been more than a decade since Florida placed state money on film and television. “Remembered Land” could break that streak. The Florida Senate passed a budget proposal this month that includes $500,000 for production. While lawmakers are far from negotiating, Wiseman said his recent lobbying trips made him feel that “remembered land” encouraged big fans in both rooms.

“The Land of Memorized is more than just a novel. It’s a homage to Florida’s history, its people and perseverance,” Sen. R-Carla, who was in charge of budget allocation, wrote in a statement. “Tracing this story on screen is a way to celebrate our heritage, educate future generations, and support Florida’s creative talent.”

Wiseman expects “The Remembered Land” to span at least two seasons of television, with a budget of around $25 million. The set will be built in Tampa and fired around the state. He said cattle ranchers have already expressed interest in providing land and cattle.

He would remain true to the spirit of the book, he said, but rather than ending in the 1960s, he believes the series can stretch all the way to the present day.

The inheritance of “remembered land”

Smith said he traveled to Florida and studied the novel by interviewing old “cracker” families and members of the Seminole tribe. A few years later, he said in an interview that in an interview his story of Florida’s pioneering times was so true that many Floridians argued that Masibey was based on their own family.

Originally from Mississippi, Smith lived on Merritt Island for decades. He died in 2014 at 87. He wrote that he was “memorable” while working full-time for Community College Public Relations.

The book has also been published in the youth edition and has been taught for a long time in high school English classes in fourth graders across the state. The permanent Tampa Bay History Center nods to the book includes replica cabins and Florida artifacts. Orlando Steakhouse, known as the Land of Remember, pays homage to the story. A copy of the book is on display at the Florida Supreme Court.

“It was a book that people who moved to Florida were given to read to try and understand the state,” said Rick Smith, the author’s son. “And it’s still selling. royalties continue to rise every year.”

Patrick D. Smith spoke about screen adaptation shortly after the book was released. By 1989, the rights to the first network television miniseries of several dead-ends had been selected. Rick Smith said he has been frequently enquiring about rights recently from Sony Pictures and a few weeks ago from UTA, one of Hollywood’s biggest institutions. He had to tell them that the Florida man beat them.

I’ve been committed to the Florida story

Wiseman, 37, grew up in Tampa before going to film school at New York University. He lived in Los Angeles for 15 years and then in order to get close to his late sister, who had been battling cancer several years ago. Wiseman decides to stay in creating a Florida story and commit himself.

His first feature film, “The School Duel,” which he wrote and directed, was filmed locally and set in a dystopian version near Florida. It premiered last year at the Deauville American Film Festival in France and won the Canal + Special Jue Award. He was also the director behind the flashy Grand Theft Auto-inspired shorts that closed several streets during filming in downtown Tampa in February.

Hayden 5, co-founded by production company Wiseman and later sold his shares, was featured in the Wall Street Journal to create a sterile “video drop kit” that ran large companies during the pandemic.

Although independent films have a long history, making independent televisions without networks or streaming services attached is virtually unprecedented.

In “The Land I Remembered,” Wiseman said he aims to follow the model of “Choosed,” a highly popular independent series about the life of Jesus Christ. The show began as a small crowdfunded pilot and grew into a titan that can be monitored with major streaming services and its own apps. And when it was released in cinemas, it set a record.

Florida Production Status

Florida has stopped trying to attract film and television productions when incentive funds dried up over a decade ago. (Hillsboro County still offers its own incentives for productions that support local sales.)

In 2010, the state legislature allocated $296 million to film industry incentives. For three years, the state provided tax credits to 297 productions that hired Florida workers and vendors. These projects reported $1.6 billion in Florida in return.

That’s the films in Florida like The Dolphin Tale, The Spring Breaker, and Pain and Gain. But when the fund dried up three years earlier than planned, lawmakers didn’t replenish it. That’s how Ben Affleck’s Evercity set “Live By Night” was rolled up in Georgia.

The last production that won state money was 2013’s “Dolphin Tale 2.” This required then-state Sen. Jack Latvala to advance a special $5 million allocation.

So far, lawmakers have not expressed interest in re-funding these incentives. If “Remembered Land” wins state money, it may speak more to the book’s popularity and unscathed Florida portraits than to a new commitment to inviting television and filmmakers.