Prime Video has found its next original YA drama in Julie Plec’s tennis series “Rally.”
The “We Were Liars” showrunner will reteam with the streamer for the original drama set in the elite competitive tennis world to write, showrun and executive produce the series. Pro player Andre Agassi will also EP.
“Rally” hails from Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Entertainment 360 and Amazon MGM Studios. Entertainment 360’s Guymon Casady said that the series was inspired by his own children.
“The inspiration for ‘Rally’ came from a deeply personal place — watching my kids train and navigate the intense pressure, dedication and heartbreak of elite junior tennis at the IMG Academy,” Casady shared in a statement.
“To build this world alongside a master storyteller like Julie Plec, and to ground it in the unmatched, authentic perspective of a true legend like Andre Agassi, is a remarkable privilege,” he added. “We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Universal Studio Group and Amazon MGM Studios to bring this high-stakes, emotional journey to a global audience.”
Plec, whose other YA credits include ‘The Vampire Diaries” and “The Originals,” and Agassi will executive produce the series with Emily Cummins, for My So Called Company, as well as fellow former tennis player Justin Gimelstob.
The series is set at a hyper-competitive elite tennis academy as aspiring professionals discover that the “loneliest sport in the world demands sacrificing the very connections that might be the only thing that makes winning worth it,” according to the series logline.
“I am eager for Justin and I to lend our experiences to help the incredible Rally team,” Agassi said. “At this stage of our lives having an endeavor that allows us to work with the best in class in what they do and hopefully contribute to the process, is an exciting challenge. We are all aligned in creating an entertaining and most importantly, authentic look at a beautifully complicated sport.”
Prime Video has leaned in to YA programming in recent years. Just this summer, they released the hockey romance series “Off Campus” and coming-of age series “Sterling Point.” These successes come on the heels of viral hit “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” The streamer also announced Thursday that it has found the leads of upcoming romantasy series “Fourth Wing” that will likely appeal to this YA demographic.
Deanna Brigidi and Andrea Bunker (“Off Campus,” “We Were Liars”) will serve as casting directors for “Rally.”
“Julie has an exceptional talent for crafting emotionally rich, irresistibly addictive worlds,” Erin Underhill, president of Universal Television, noted. “’Rally’ delivers the dynamic relationships, ambition and heart that make Julie’s storytelling so compelling. We’re excited to partner with Prime Video to bring this story to life and can’t wait for audiences to discover the world Julie has crafted.”
