A follow-up to “Six Feet Under” is in very early development at HBO, Variety has learned exclusively from sources.
At this time, no writer is attached to the project. Likewise, no plotline has been decided, meaning it could be a reboot or more of a sequel series following up on existing characters from the show in the present day, but no decision has been made. Original series creator Alan Ball and executive producers Bob Greenblatt and David Janollari are all attached to executive produce the new project.
Reps for HBO declined to comment. Reps for Ball did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.
“Six Feet Under” aired on from 2001-2005 for five seasons and 63 episodes. The show followed the lives of the Fisher family and their associates in the running of a funeral home in Los Angeles.
The cast included Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez, Mathew St. Patrick, and Rachel Griffiths. Richard Jenkins recurred on the show as family patriarch Nate Fisher Sr., who dies in the opening episode but appears in flashbacks and in the minds of his family members. The show also served as an early launch pad for people like Justina Machado and Rainn Wilson.
“Six Feet Under” received widespread praise throughout its run on the premium cabler and is considered by many to be one of the best television shows of all time. It received 53 total Emmy nominations in its time on the air, winning nine. The show also picked up multiple Golden Globe wins, including best drama series in 2002. It celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this year, with the cast and creative team reuniting for a PaleyFest panel.
After “Six Feet Under” ended, Ball went on to create the HBO series “True Blood” and “Here and Now.” He also executive produced the HBO film adaptation of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” He won the Emmy for best directing for a drama series for his work on the “Six Feet Under” pilot and also won an Academy Award for best original screenplay for “American Beauty.”
He is repped by UTA and Goodman Genow.
Greenblatt was previously chairman of NBC Entertainment as well as the chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment. He most recently launched the production company The Green Room, which is under a first-look deal at Lionsgate. Janollari has produced “Midnight, Texas,” “Bluff City Law,” and “One on One” among other shows in addition to his work on “Six Feet Under.”