Amazon has today given a series order to the original drama Utopia based on the British series of the same name. Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects) is leading the new series and has signed an overall deal with the streaming service.
The drama revolves around a group of young adults who meet online and are mercilessly hunted by a shadowy deep state organization. After they come in to possession of a near mythical cult underground graphic novel, they discover the conspiracy theories in the comic's pages may actually be real and are forced in to the dangerous, unique and ironic position of saving the world.
Flynn will serve as showrunner on the nine-episode first season. She will executive produce with Jessica Rhoades, Sharon Hall, Karen Wilson, Dennis Kelly, Diederick Santer and Sharon Levy. Endemol Shine North America, Kudos and Amazon Studios will produce.
"Utopia is pure creative catnip to me," said Flynn. "Dennis Kelly's show blew my mind, and he has been so incredibly generous in letting me crack open his world and play around in it and make it my own weird, wild place. Utopia is all about exploring resonant issues within dark, twisted storytelling - it's a series that's urgent and current and a little holy-crap! but a hell of a lot of fun."
"We are huge fans of Gillian Flynn's electrifying work," said Nick Hall, Head of Alternative Series, Amazon Studios. "She crafts stories that hold her audience in a constant state of suspense and subverts the expectations behind her characters. She will deliver Prime Video members a series they won't forget, and Utopia's relevance is sure to connect with viewers around the globe."
Back in 2014, HBO announced a straight-to-series order for an American adaptation of Utopia with Flynn writing and David Fincher directing. The project was rumored to star Rooney Mara in the lead role. And yet, budget difficulties and a clash between Fincher and HBO led to production being shut down and never resuming.
