HBO Just Killed Another Show

HBO will not move forward with J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi drama series Demimonde. Following weeks of discussions with Abrams, his Bad Robot production company, and Warner Bros. Television, the premium cable network has opted to drop the project, which would have marked Abram’s first script since he co-wrote Fringe and wrote Alias. The Hollywood Reporter was among the first to report the news, with several other outlets, including Variety, later confirming.

Although HBO did not release a statement regarding the decision, the decision not to move forward with the project is largely believed to do with budget. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has been tasked with trimming $3 billion from the newly merged company. Demimonde, meanwhile, was known to come with a massive budget somewhere above the $200 million mark. For comparison, the highly-anticipated Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon, set to premiere this summer, has a budget less than $200 million.

HBO picked a straight-to-series order to Demimonde back in 2018. Set to be written and directed by Abrams, the series was set to star Danielle Deadwyler as Olive Reed, who, in a scientific accident, is torn away from her husband and daughter. She is forced to unravel a conspiracy to reunite with her family, now lost to a dark, distant other world. Executive producers included Abrams and Ben Stephenson through Bad Robot, as well as Kira Snyder, Rand Ravich & Far Shariat. Rachel Rusch Rich was co-executive producer.

HBO’s decision will not necessarily mark the end of the road for the series. Per THR, Demimonde will now shopped by producers Warner Bros. Television to streamers including Apple and Netflix. Apple, which had initially been in a bidding war with HBO over the show, is said to be “considered a natural home” for the series. Apple is already home to Abrams’ Little Voice and limited series Lisey’s Story, and the streamer reportedly pursued an overall deal with Bad Robot.

Demimonde‘s fate marked the latest in a string of and news for HBO programming, including reports in late May that Armando Iannucci’s Avenue 5 seems ill-fated. According to reports, the contracts for members of the cast had come to an end without extension, and they have been released from the series, signaling that the cabler is prepping not to move forward with additional seasons. Fortunately, it hasn’t all been bad news. Just days before news of Demimonde‘s fate was revealed, HBO renewed A Black Lady Sketch Show for Season 4.