Los Angeles, June 10 (Representative) HBO is now officially not going forward with JJ Abrams’s ambitious sci-fi drama project, “Demimonde”, thus marking the end of a long road for the project. The venture was ordered to series at HBO in February 2018 after a bidding war with Apple. The series order came over a year before Abrams and his wife Katie McGrath first set a major overall deal for their production company Bad Robot at WarnerMedia. The decision comes after weeks of deliberations with Abrams, his Bad Robot production company and Warner Bros. Television which were focused on the show’s budget.
Abrams was reportedly seeking a budget of $200 million for the show while Warner Bros and HBO, had been trying to rein in costs, something to which Bad Robot did not agree. Written, executive produced and to be directed by Abrams, details on Demimonde were mostly kept under wraps, but it was described as “an epic and intimate sci-fi fantasy drama” about a world’s battle against a monstrously oppressive force. According to some sources, Warner Bros. Discovery execs had become increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress and output development from Abrams and his Bad Robot banner’s $250 million overall deal that was signed back in 2019.
The lack of delivery on content to HBO and HBO Max has created a pipeline issue for both the premium cable network and streamer, making it challenging to plan budgets for things like marketing. There’s currently no delivery plan for any of Bad Robot’s multiple projects for WBD platforms or for third-party buyers. Abrams, it’s worth noting, is working on a new Star Trek movie for rival studio Paramount Global, as the Warner pact did not include exclusivity. Producers are currently shopping the show to other streamers, including Apple, which reportedly pursued a $500 million exclusivity deal with Abrams and Bad Robot that the director turned down.