HBO Cancels J.J. Abrams Sci-Fi Drama Series DEMIMONDE Due To Budget
J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot production company have been developing an ambitious sci-fi series for HBO titled Demimonde. Bad Robot was asking for a mid-$200 million range for the series, which is too rich for HBO’s blood. Warner Bros. Television and HBO tried to get Bad Robot to lower the budget, but they wouldn’t budge on it, so… HBO shut it down.
The series would have followed “what happens after a woman is torn away from her husband and daughter in a brutal scientific accident as she is forced to unravel a conspiracy to reunite with her family that has been lost to a dark, distant other world.”
Danielle Deadwyler (Watchmen, Station Eleven) was set to star in the series. Abrams has been having a hard time getting his project off the ground and into development since he made that mega-deal with Warner Bros.
With Warner Bros. Discovery under new leadership, they are reevaluating a lot of things, including Abrams’ deal. Abrams wrote Demimonde and was also going to direct it. This would have been his first TV creation since Alias. Maybe he’ll end up shopping it around to other streaming services at some point.
The question is, does Abrams really need $200+ to make the series?
Source: Deadline