HBO Orders J.J. Abrams Sci-Fi TV Show Demimonde to Series

J.J. Abrams’ new sci-fi TV show Demimonde has been ordered to series by HBO as the director continues his fruitful relationship with the network. While Abrams has made a splash on the big screen thanks to his work in the Star Trek, Star Wars, and Cloverfield franchises, the auteur always returns to television. Thanks to Lost, his legacy as someone able to craft compelling and complex stories has remained unchallenged and his work producing the Westworld reboot has shown he can still ensnare an audience. The next few years, however, will see even more of his work.


Abrams’ touch will next be seen on Stephen King’s Castle Rock for Hulu which his company Bad Robot is producing. The latest Castle Rock teaser offered more mysterious hints about the show and looks to be yet another hit in terms of Stephen King adaptations. Abrams will also be producing Lovecraft Country with Jordan Peele, another anthology series that will dive into horror on HBO. Between that series and Westworld, it seems the network is fond of working with Abrams as they’ve just nabbed another series from him.


Deadline is reporting that HBO has ordered Demimonde to series. The show will be the first solely created by Abrams since Alias, and Bad Robot, Warner Bros. TV, and HBO will all be producing. The series is described as “an epic and intimate sci-fi fantasy drama,” and it’s said to focus on the fight against a powerful adversary. Whether the titular ‘half world’ will be the main location or the evil entity threatening reality, it’s not yet known.


Though HBO was long considered the favorite for the series, Apple expressed interest before it was picked up. The media and tech giant has been expanded their plans for television content lately, and have already grabbed a number of intriguing sounds projects. Most recently, Apple and La La Land director Damien Chazelle are developing a new series.


Between Westworld, Lovecraft Country, the Game of Thrones spinoff, and now Demimonde, HBO is building itself quite the stable of genre content. As sci-fi, fantasy, and horror continue to perform well across film and television, the network looks to be making itself an indispensable part of the landscape. And with the Watchmen TV series exploring a comic book adaptation, HBO will gain a piece of the superhero pie.


Abrams’ last series he had a hand in creating, Fringe, didn’t make the splash that Lost did but was a critical and cult success. If some of that same energy can be channeled into Demimonde, the series could be a fitting return to the world of sci-fi television for the creator.