Joss Whedon set to make his TV return with HBO's sci-fi series 'The Nevers'
Joss Whedon fans gear up for he's about to make his grand return to TV. The man who gave us 'The Firefly' and 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', and of course - the Avengers - seemingly has an "epic" new science fiction venture in the form of a TV series that has just been greenlit by HBO. The show - that has been titled 'The Nevers' - has been described as “an epic science fiction drama about a gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world.”
Whedon, who will be serving as the showrunner, said: “I honestly couldn’t be more excited. The Nevers is maybe the most ambitious narrative I’ve created, and I can’t imagine a better home for it than HBO. Not only are they the masters of cinematic long-form, but their instant understanding of my odd, intimate epic was as emotional as it was incisive. It’s been too long since I created an entirely new fictional world, and the HBO team offer not just scope and experience, not just ‘prestige,’ but a passionate collaboration. I could go on, but — I’m impatiently grateful to say — I have work to do.”
While Netflix might have beaten HBO in garnering the maximum number of Emmy nominations this year, dethroning the network of its 17-year-old leading run, HBO definitely seemed to have topped the streaming giant by acquiring Whedon's new series in a bidding war, as per sources. In a rarity for networks, HBO also gave the project a direct-to-series order.
HBO programming president Casey Bloys adds: “We have long been fans of the incredibly talented and prolific Joss Whedon and we can’t think of a better project than The Nevers with which to welcome him to the HBO family. We look forward to meeting the strange, multifaceted characters of The Nevers, to learn their stories, see them in action and share them with our viewers. We’re honored that Joss chose HBO as the place to build his ambitious new world and we are excited to get started.”
No premiere date has been revealed for the series as of yet, but seemingly it won't be here before next year. The network already has 'Game of Thrones', 'True Detective', 'Big Little Lies', J.J. Abrams’ 'Demimonde', Jordan Peele’s 'Lovecraft Country', 'Veep', 'Barry', and 'The Deuce', among others, lined up for 2019 and now 'The Nevers' with its female sci-fi heroines will be joining the league.
But apart from this series, there's also a possibility of a revival of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' which Fox has announced, but here's the catch: they have placed the entire responsibility of that happening on Joss Whedon. “It’s [the reboot] something we talk about frequently, and Joss Whedon is really one of the greatest creators we ever worked with,” Gary Newman, one of the network's executives revealed, according Variety. “When Joss decides it’s time, we’ll do it. And until Joss decides it’s time, it won’t happen.”
