JJ Abrams’ ‘Demimonde’ in budget drama limbo as bad robot deal could be reassessed by Warner Bros. Discovery – Deadline

JJ Abrams’ Ambitious HBO Sci-Fi Drama Series Demimonde has encountered a major obstacle in its long journey to the screen. The issues, related to the show’s price, come amid talk of a potential reassessment of JJ Abrams’ massive Bad Robot deal with Warner Bros. for film, TV, games and digital content as the new Warner Bros. Discovery examines every aspect. of the assets they took over.
Purchased by the network four years ago with a serial direct order, Demimonde is still in early pre-production, but major budget issues threaten to derail it. According to sources, the project’s studios, Warner Bros. Television and HBO tried to control costs, but Bad Robot stood firm on their proposed budget, which would be around $200 million, and would not agree to any cuts below that.
While current talks between Warner Bros. and Abrams focus on Demimonde, we hear a broader discussion of the Bad Robot deal is also on the table and is expected amid a thorough and extensive review of WarnerMedia’s business by the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav. We hear the veteran TV executive has a good relationship with Abrams and is in regular communication with him and the rest of Warner Bros. top talent as he familiarizes himself with the workings of the film and television studio he now oversees.
The Bad Robot deal isn’t expected to be Warner Bros.’ only big deal. to be put under the microscope as the new regime seeks to cut spending and cut $3 billion in savings after the Discovery-WarnerMedia merger.
Abrams and his Bad Robot are in the middle of a five-year deal that was reached in September 2019 for Abrams to retain his television business and transfer his film business to Warner Bros. many built-in direct-to-serial mics and photos with guaranteed payday and deficit funding valued by sources at up to $250 million. As the terms of the agreement are set, we learn that both parties are willing to review it and adjust elements to make it more relevant to the current economic environment, which is very different from that of 2019. According to sources, Zaslav and his team are committed to staying with the JJ Abrams company.
There have been a few series to come out of the new deal that have been given the green light, including Feather duster and Subject to change to HBO Max, a UFO docuseries to Showtime and a presumed innocent limited series on Apple TV+. Jhere are a multitude of projects in development, including DC Mrs Xanadu, Batman: Crusader Caped and one Constantine reboot on HBO Max, baby bird on HBO, and a U2 biographical series on Netflix. Last summer, HBO Max opted out of moving forward with another Bad Robot series, the brilliant serial branching Neglect. The project has since been set up at Netflix where the company has also little horrors in the works.
Demimonde and the existing Bad Robot series, including the HBO hit Westworldnext Apple TV+ show My glory was that I had such friends, starring Jennifer Garner and a docuseries by Elizabeth Taylor at HBO, were developed and sold under Bad Robot’s previous WBTV pact. Abrams is now at Warner Bros. TV for over 15 years.
Written, executive produced and directed by Abrams, Demimonde, his first solo TV creation since A.k.a, recently cast Danielle Deadwyler for the lead role. In it, when a woman, Olive Reed (Deadwyler), is torn from her husband and daughter in a brutal scientific accident, she is forced to unravel a plot to find her family, now lost in another dark world. and distant.
Kira Snyder, Rand Ravich and Far Shariat are the showrunners. They are executive producers with Abrams of Bad Robot and Ben Stephenson. Rachel Rusch Rich is co-executive producer.