‘Dexter’ Prequel Series Is in the Works

Showtime has reportedly ordered a prequel to its acclaimed series Dexter, to air as the network rebrands alongside its streaming counterpart Paramount+. On Monday, network head Brian McCarthy teased the plan in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, saying that the new series is already in the works. McCarthy hopes this could become a stand-out franchise for Showtime to help it compete with other networks and streamers.

The Dexter prequel series will reportedly be set back in Miami, Florida – Dexter Morgan’s (Michael C. Hall) hometown and the setting for most of the original show. The prequel will be an origin story for Morgan, in part, but it will also incorporate the stories of real-life serial killers from that era. This show was reportedly ordered straight to series and is now in the works, but it’s not clear when fans might get to see it for themselves.

This prequel was ordered on the strength of Dexter: New Blood, the highly-anticipated sequel series to Dexter that concluded in January of 2022. That limited series set new viewership records for Showtime, according to a report by Deadline, which is no surprise as fans had long been disappointed in the finale of the original show. However, there may be new seasons of New Blood on the horizon as well, according to McCarthy.

The network is also exploring other possible spinoffs for this franchise, particularly origin stories for other serial killers it has featured. That may include a show about “The Trinity Killer,” played by John Lithgow in the original series. So far, these are just ideas, but Showtime has shown that it is ready to take action fast.

The other major projects McCarthy discussed this week were spinoffs of the hit series Billions. There are reportedly four of these in the works, including Millions which would be about up-and-coming financiers and Trillions, which would be a soapy drama about the ultra-rich. Billions: Miami will be about the exclusive lifestyle of the wealthy, including private aviation, nightlife and power brokering. This show would focus on the growing but volatile cryptocurrency speculation market. Meanwhile, Billions: London would be about the fast-paced financial world of the U.K.

The newer series would be Millions and Trillions. The former would be about up-and-coming financiers trying to make it in Manhattan, while the latter would be a soapy drama about “the richest people in the world.” Original series creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien are reportedly already working on Billions: Miami, but it’s not clear if the other ones are sure things yet.

All this comes as Showtime prepares to rebrand and integrate more closely with Paramount+. Soon, the network will be called “Paramount+ with Showtime” but will continue to offer content both on linear and streaming platforms. It’s not clear when this change will take effect.