Two of the biggest minds behind HBO’s breakthrough television series Game of Thrones have recently announced their latest Netflix series. Since signing a deal with the streaming service back in 2019, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have announced multiple upcoming projects. The latest development will pair the duo with Logan actor Hugh Jackman for a wild new series based on the Pulitzer prize winning novel, The Overstory.
Hugh Jackman is attached to executive produce alongside the Game of Thrones show-runners. The upcoming adaptation is based on The Overstory, which explores the temporal effects humans have on the environment and the lives of those who interact with nature. Originally published in 2018, the novel went on to win the Pulitzer Prize.
The adaptation, which was first reported on by Variety, is the latest in a number of planned projects that the pair have been working on with Netflix. Earlier this year Sandra Oh was revealed as the star and executive producer of their first TV show with Netflix, The Chair. Benioff and Weiss’s first project since the controversial ending of Game of Thrones will be a lighter one. The Chair follows Sandra Oh’s character as the chair of the english department at a major American University.
Benioff and Weiss were supposed to helm a Star Wars trilogy for Disney, but moved on from the projects after the backlash from their involvement in the final seasons of Game of Thrones. Since then they signed a massive, multi-million dollar, deal with streaming giant Netflix.
Netflix has been shelling out cash over the past couple of years in a move that will beef up its original content library. Now that studios have gotten in on the streaming market, there is increased competition to bring viewers the best offerings from the comfort of their own home.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has devastated the entertainment industry, is also fueling the fire for more at home original content. Warner Bros. recently released their bombshell decision to simultaneously premier its entire 2021 movie slate on HBOMax in addition to theaters. Last year Disney employed a strategy of its own with a same day streaming release of Mulan for Disney + subscribers.
While Netflix has consistently stuck with its current model, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw some deviation in the future. After all, they have successfully penetrated the Awards circuit in an extremely short period of time and they will continue to go head to head with Disney +, HBOMax and more.
But honestly, who knows at this point? Between the ongoing pandemic and the rapidly changing business model of streaming services anything is possible. One thing is certain though, Benioff and Weiss have their work cut out for them if they are trying to recreate the magic of Game of Thrones. Only time will tell if the pair can lead another breakout show into the forefront of American culture, but they’ve done it once before. I just hope they leave the coffee cups at home this time.
