‘Demimonde’, a science-fiction drama from American filmmaker and 'Star Wars' director J.J. Abrams, will not be moving forward at HBO owing to budgetary issues. The premium-cable network had won the project back in 2018 after a bidding war with Apple Studios and gave it a straight-to-series order. The show was described as an epic and intimate sci-fi fantasy drama that deals with the world's battle against a monstrous, oppressive force.
Abrams fought hard to keep HBO/HBO Max head Casey Bloys from axing the show, sources close to the development told Holywood Reporter.
Bloys opted to part ways with the series after a week of deliberation. Abrams had requested for a budget of more than USD 200 million. By contrast, HBO's upcoming 'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of the Dragon' has a budget of less than USD 200 million. Producers at Warnermedia, HBO's parent company, will now sell the series around to other streaming services like Apple and Netflix, where Abrams' other shows are in development.
Abrams was also set to helm the pilot for 'Demimonde', the show that had already changed showrunners since its landing at HBO four years ago. He was also attached to the project as the writer of the pilot and an executive producer, alongside Ben Stephenson, who runs the TV division of Abrams production company Bad Robot.
The fate of the show now remains uncertain.
[With Inputs From PTI]
