Author Nicholas Binge behind Understudy project, which was reportedly being chased by multiple US studios
Netflix has landed a short story from Nicholas Binge for development and reportedly paid $1m for rights, in a deal highlighting growing interest in the medium.
Understudy has been written by sci-fi and horror author Binge, who will also adapt the show for screen.
He is already working with Sony Pictures Television on an adaptation of his novel Dissolution, while A24 in the UK picked up his White Smoke story, which was written under the pseudonym Nick Brucker. Benedict Cumberbatch is set to star.
Understudy, meanwhile, is reportedly a 23-page story that revolves around an actor who believes he is being hired for an unusual role but finds himself at the centre of a murderous crime wave.
Celadon Pictures - the label backed by The Walking Dead and Beef star Steven Yeun - is attached to exec produce alongside Phil Lord and Chris Miller, whose Lord Miller label has a first-look deal with Netflix.
The duo recently worked on Prime Video’s Spider-Noir, which was cancelled after one season, as well as film Project Hail Mary, which became a box office hit this year.
US reports suggest Netflix paid $1m for Understudy plus a script commitment, with the project being courted by seven studios. The streamer declined to comment.
Short stories are increasingly being seen as a relatively untapped vein for emergent IP, with A24 buying Chandler Baker’s Discretion last year. The project went on to land a Paramount+ order, with Nicole Kidman and Ellie Fanning starring.
Docuseries and dating additions
Netflix has also unveiled a deal for Australian docuseries 2.6 Seconds: Death In The Outback and dating format Love At First Sight.
2.6 Seconds: Death In The Outback, which is set to debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, is a fourt-parter produced by Blackfella Films for co-commissisoners SBS and NITV.
The series will premiere on Netflix in early 2027 following a deal with Banijay Rights and examines the events and repercussions of the two fatal shots fired in 2.6 seconds that ended the life of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker.
Director and producer is Darren Dale, writer is Andrew Boe, and Andrew Boe EP’s with Jacob Hickey.
The streamer has also greenlit its latest dating show, this time from Age of Attraction outfit Velvet Hammer Media.
Love At First Sight explores whether fleeting moments with someone can lead to a long-term relationship.
The show joins a fast-growing slate for Jennifer O’Connell and Rebecca Quinn’s Velvet Hammer, which is also behind The Big Bakeover for The CW and a docuseries about Nick Cannon, which is set to debut on Netflix later this year.
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