JJ Abrams’ Sci-Fi Series Demimonde Picked Up By HBO

Deadline reports that HBO has given a series order to JJ Abrams’ script Demimonde, a sci-fi fantasy drama that follows the world’s fight with a “monstrous, oppressive force.” It will be produced by Warner Bros. TV, Bad Robot Productions and HBO. Abrams will executive produce with Ben Stephenson, with a showrunner being announced at a later date.

The script received a lot of interest, with Apple making a bid, but HBO was the frontrunner from the beginning as Abrams already has an existing relationship. Bad Robot already has two shows at HBO, including Westworld and Jordan Peele’s upcoming Lovecraft Country. They also have other projects in development, including the space drama Glare. This will be the first series created by Abrams alone since 2001’s Alias, which ran on ABC. The last show he co-created was FOX’s Fringe in 2008.

The word “Demimonde” is French for “half-world.” It comes from Alexandre Dumas’ Le Demi-Monde and refers to “a distinct circle or world that is often an isolated part of a larger world” or “the world of prostitution.”