HBO has taken a pass on Open, a provocative, sexually charged drama from Glee/American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, HBO wanted him to go back to the drawing board and redevelop the series, but Murphy reportedly opted not to do that.
THR describes Open as “a multi-character exploration of the complex, ever-evolving landscape of sexuality, monogamy and intimacy in relationships”; that would have starred Anna Torv (Fringe), Scott Speedman (Felicity), Michelle Monaghan (True Detective) and West Bentley (The Hunger Games).
Murphy’s previous project for HBO, his adaptation of Larry Kramer’s acclaimed play The Normal Heart, earned 16 Emmy nominations and won for Best TV Movie. So confident was HBO about the project initially that it placed a straight-to-pilot order upon hearing Murphy’s pitch.
“After such a triumphant collaboration with The Normal Heart, everyone felt that Open was not the right next step for all involved,”; said HBO programming president Michael Lombardo in a statement. “However, we fully expect to work together again in the near future.”;
It’s not known whether Murphy will try to land the project at another network; let’s not forget that HBO famously passed on Mad Men, which went on to become a game-changing hit for AMC.
