Source: Steve Granitz / Getty
A controversial show in development has officially been axed according to Shadow and Act.
Confederate was a project set at HBO that would follow “the events leading to the Third American Civil War.” According to the official description:
“The series takes place in an alternate timeline, where the southern states have successfully seceded from the Union, giving rise to a nation in which slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution. The story follows a broad swath of characters on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Demilitarized Zone — freedom fighters, slave hunters, politicians, abolitionists, journalists, the executives of a slave-holding conglomerate and the families of people in their thrall.”
Many people didn’t take too kindly to a story about slavery in modern day, especially when there’s already current institutions that favor such systematic violence.
The show was helmed by Game of Thrones creators, David Benioff & D.B. Weiss, and they immediately received backlash for the idea. HBO president Casey Bloys eventually said, “If I had to do it over again, what I would do to introduce the idea is what we ended up doing after the fact with the four producers, which is to have them sit with journalists.”
Not sure if that would’ve helped, but it seems that doesn’t matter anymore. Benioff and Weiss have signed a new deal with Netflix, which explains their HBO idea getting axed. They will no longer have any existing projects in development at HBO.
Meanwhile, over in basic-yet-still-great cable land, FX is gearing up for their limited series Miss America. The show, starring Cate Blanchett “tells the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), and the unexpected backlash led by a conservative woman named Phyllis Schlafly, played by Blanchett. Through the eyes of the women of that era – both Schlafly and second wave feminists Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug and Jill Ruckelshaus – the series explores how one of the toughest battlegrounds in the culture wars of the 70s helped give rise to the Moral Majority and forever shifted our political landscape.”
Interesting, right?
Well if you want more of a teaser, you can check out a first look of Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm here, and we’ll keep you updated as the nine episode miniseries hits the airwaves.
Behind The Scenes: ‘Confederate’ Show Dies At HBO & Uzo Aduba Teases First Look As Shirley Chisholm was originally published on globalgrind.com
