Project Runway Move Denied

A preliminary injunction was granted to NBC Universal, the parent company of Bravo, which will prevent the network's popular show, Project Runway, from moving to Lifetime, according to the Los Angeles Times.

A New York judge granted the injunction Friday to block the show's move, after Bravo claimed that Weinstein Co., which owns the show, broke its contract by refusing to give Bravo the option to renew the show for additional seasons.

New York Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Lowe III said that Harvey Weinstein, co-founder of Weinstein Co., misled NBC into thinking that Project Runway was still available, even though Weinstein had entered in a $200 million contract with Lifetime weeks earlier.

NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker said he was contacted on Feb. 22 by Weinstein, who told him there had been an offer for the series that was so "huge and stupid" that it was "not worth countering." Zucker claimed Weinstein said he would show him the deal after it had been completed.

According to the judge, Weinstein had already cashed the advance received by Lifetime at that point. He did not notify NBC Universal of the move until April 7.

Lifetime had planned to debut the new season of Project Runway in January. The sixth season is currently in production.

A hearing date has been set for Oct. 15 to determine on which network the new season will premiere.