Around this time last year, FX order a pilot for Atlanta, the story of two cousins on the rise in the Atlanta rap scene. The series is created by and stars Donald Glover as Earnest “Earn” Marks, and FX announced today that it has picked up the series for a 10-episode order that will air in 2016.
Glover will also executive produce alongside Paul Simms and Dianne McGunigle.Nick Grad, Co-President of Original Programming for FX, said of the project,
Image via HBO
Atlanta draws on Donald’s considerable talents as a musician, actor and writer to give us something unique. The story is made all the more powerful by the great cast and the contributions of Donald’s fellow Executive Producer Paul Simms and director Hiro Murai. We can’t wait to for the debut of Atlanta next year.
As an Atlantan, the idea of naming a show after an entire city feels a little narrow to me (would any series ever be so bold as to just call itself “New York” or “Los Angeles”? HBO’s Girls is bad enough. At least T.I. just went for the abbreviation when he did ATL). My grumpiness at having Atlanta boiled down into a half-hour comedy aside, Glover is super talented, and it’ll be interesting to see how the show balances its narrative and its music. Will it be given to extended meditations on music, like Treme? Or will it just feature short bursts meant to sell singles? (a la Empire and Nashville). With Hiro Murai at the helm (as a music video director who’s also worked as a cinematographer for Drunk History), it could end up being really beautifully filmed.
In any case, we’ll find out next year. Atlanta will also star Brian Tyree Henry (Alfred Miles), Lakeith Lee Stanfield (Darius), and Zazie Beetz (Van).
