Netflix has ordered a six-part anthology “Blackout,” to be produced by the Obamas’ Higher Ground banner and Temple Hill.
The project is designed to will tell six different stories of Black teenagers who find love during a power outage in New York City. Each installment will be penned by a different writer. The project is being developed concurrently as a TV and a film project through Higher Ground’s overall deal with Netflix.
“When the lights go out and people reveal hidden truths, love blossoms, friendships transform, and all possibilities take flight,” Netflix said.
On board to write the installments are Dhonielle Clayton (“Tiny Pretty Things”), Tiffany D. Jackson (“Allegedly”), Nic Stone (“Dear Martin”), Angie Thomas (“The Hate U Give”), Ashley Woodfolk (“The Beauty that Remains”) and Nicola Yoon (“Everything, Everything”). Among the storylines for the installments that Netflix revealed were “two boys trapped on the subway come face-to-face with their feelings” and “a pair of best friends stuck in the New York Public Library and surrounded by love stories figure out if there’s one in their future.”
There’s no word yet on an target premiere date for “Blackout.” The project reunites the team that produced “Fatherhood,” the Netflix comedy film that starred Kevin Hart as a widowed father. “Blackout” is one of a slew of projects on the docket for Higher Ground.
The company’s film slate includes the story of gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, directed by George C. Wolfe, and “Exit West,” a refugee love story based on Mohsin Hamid’s novel of the same name.