Four series that were previously in development at FX are being moved over to Hulu, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced on Thursday.
The Alex Garland sci-fi series “Devs,” Cate Blanchett’s “Mrs. America,” the Jeff Bridges-starring spy drama “The Old Man” and the Kate Mara-led limited series “A Teacher” are all being produced for Hulu and are eying a 2020 launch.
The move comes as Hulu becomes the “official” streaming home for FX shows — including all seasons of past FX shows and new original series produced by FX specifically for the streaming platform — under the banner of “FX on Hulu.” Episodes of current FX series will be made available to stream on Hulu the day after they air on the linear network beginning in March.
Hulu’s dedicated original programming operation will remain in place, continuing to work on Hulu’s own original series, which include “Castle Rock” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Any existing deals with other streaming services for FX series will remain in place until those deals expire.
Iger also announced on Thursday’s earnings call plans for a similar partnership between Hulu and Fox Searchlight, with the studio to produce original projects for the streaming service.
“We’re excited to become the official streaming home to the award-winning current and legacy series that FX has produced over nearly two decades, as well as brand-new original series that will be exclusive to Hulu subscribers – all available through ‘FX on Hulu.’ FX has solidified its position as a premium brand that consumers are passionate about, and we can’t wait to bring its valuable content offering to our customers, all in one place,” said Hulu CEO Randy Freer.
Added FX chief John Landgraf, “We’re thrilled to have Hulu as our streaming partner with the creation of FX on Hulu, which will be the best and most complete representation of the FX brand, finally putting us on equal footing with competitors like HBO. This will allow us to expand FX’s original programming lineup and to reach Hulu’s growing audience of young and highly engaged subscribers, whom we believe will love these shows. We are more committed than ever to quality over quantity, with our primary focus on excellence that can cut through the clutter at a time of unprecedented consumer choice. This is a game-changing opportunity for FX, and we can’t wait to embark on this journey with Randy and his great Hulu team.”
The four projects moving to Hulu are among the most high-profile in FX’s development pipeline. They leave behind a slate which includes “Pose,” “Mayans M.C.,” “Better Things,” “Atlanta,” as well as upcoming installments of “American Horror Story” and “American Crime Story.”
“Devs,” an eight-episode limited series starring Nick Offerman and Sonoya Mizuno centers on a story about a San Francisco tech company murder mystery. “Annihilation’s” Alex Garland, is writer and executive producer.
“Mrs. America,” a limited series created and written by “Mad Men” alum Dahvi Waller, stars Blanchett as the late conservative firebrand Phyllis Schlafly and explores the battle over the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s.
“A Teacher” is based on the 2013 film of the same name and stars Kate Mara as a teacher who is caught in an affair with her male student, played by “Love, Simon’s” Nick Robinson. Hannah Fidell, who wrote and directed the film, will serve in the same capacity for the 10-episode limited series.
“The Old Man,” based on the novel by Thomas Perry and adapted by Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine, stars Jeff Bridges as a former CIA agent living off-the-grid until an assassin arrives to take him out.