'Dear White People' series coming to Netflix
NEW YORK -- Dear everyone: Netflix has picked up a comedy series based on Justin Simien’s critically-acclaimed indie film Dear White People.
The 10-episode, 30-minute series will be produced by Lionsgate, whose sister company Roadside Attractions released the original film in 2014.
Like the movie, the series will be set among a diverse group of students of color as they navigate a predominantly white Ivy League college.
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Simien will pen the series and direct the first episode.
Devon Shepard (House of Lies), Stephanie Allain Bray (Dear White People) and Julia Lebedev (Dear White People) serve as executive producers.
“During the film’s release, I had the pleasure to speak with hundreds of students and faculty across a variety of college campuses dealing with these very issues in real time," Simien said in a statement.
"I'm so grateful to have this platform – not only to give a voice to those too often unheard in our culture, but to also tell great stories from new points of views.”
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Netflix was equally as excited, with Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content at Netflix, calling the filmmaker a "gifted storyteller" with a "bold, unique vision perfectly suited to Netflix."
This is Lionsgate's second TV project with Netflix, following the success of Orange is the New Black.
“We’re proud to expand our partnership with our friends at Netflix on a comedy that tackles racial themes with a combination of intelligence, honesty, irreverence and wit,” Chris Selak, Executive Vice President of Television at Lionsgate, said in a statement.
The series is scheduled to go into production later this year and will premiere on Netflix around the world in 2017.
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Topics Netflix
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
