FX has ordered the limited series “Retreat,” written by “The OA” creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. The mystery series — a twist on the detective trope — follows an amateur sleuth named Darby Hart, as she attempts to solve a murder case at a secluded retreat. Both writers will direct, with Marling also playing a key role in the whodunnit.
“Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij have delivered a suspenseful story that updates the classic mystery genre with a bold new character for our times,” said Gina Balian, president of original programming. “We are thrilled that Brit and Zal and the rest of the creative team will bring this series to life with their unique points of view and care.”
Per “Retreat’s” logline, Darby and 11 other guests are invited by a reclusive billionaire to participate in a retreat at a remote and dazzling location. When one of the guests is found dead, Darby must fight to prove it was murder against a tide of competing interests and before the killer takes another life. The show is executive produced by Marling, Batmanglij and Andrea Sperling (“Transparent”). The series will be produced by FX Productions.
The show’s order comes after the success of Mike White’s HBO dramedy “White Lotus,” which takes place on an idyllic, quasi-retreat center at a Hawaiian hotel, and right before the premiere of David E. Kelley and John Henry Butterworth’s TV adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s book “Nine Perfect Strangers,” which takes place at an actual retreat center led by a reclusive, wealthy woman with ulterior motives (played by Nicole Kidman).
Marling and Batmanglij are repped by CAA; Sperling is repped by David Morris/UTA.