A scripted series about legendary rock band U2 is in early development at Netflix, Variety has confirmed with sources.
JJ Abrams is attached to executive produce the project under his Bad Robot banner, with “Bohemian Rhapsody” writer Anthony McCarten onboard to write the script. Warner Bros. Television, where Bad Robot is currently under an expansive overall deal, will produce. It is unclear at this time exactly how involved U2 would be in the project.
Exact plot details for the show are currently under wraps, but given McCarten’s involvement it seems logical to assume that the show would delve into the history of the band.
Reps for Netflix, Warner Bros. TV, and Bad Robot declined to comment.
U2 is one of the most iconic bands in history and rank among the best-selling musical artists of all time. The Irish group first formed in 1976 and consists of members Paul “Bono” Hewson, Adam Clayton, David “The Edge” Evans, and Larry Mullen Jr. They have released 14 studio albums to date and won 22 Grammy Awards. They continue to tour, having most recently performed their worldwide Joshua Tree Tour in 2019.
McCarten is a well-known writer of biographical features. He is a two-time Oscar nominee in the best adapted screenplay category — once in 2015 for the Stephen Hawking biopic “The Theory of Everything” starring Eddie Redmayne and again in 2020 for “The Two Popes” starring Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis.
“Bohemian Rhapsody” told the story of the rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Malek. That film won four Oscars, including one for Malek for best actor. McCarten’s other credits include the Oscar-winning Winston Churchill film “Darkest Hour” starring Gary Oldman.
He is repped by CAA and Myman Greenspan.
The Hollywood Reporter first broke news of the U2 series.