Michaela Coel Creating Follow-up Series to “I May Destroy You” for HBO & BBC
One of the most talented creators of her generation is returning to HBO with a brand-new series.
I May Destroy You creator and star Michaela Coel has set First Day On Earth at HBO, a ten-episode drama that will follow British novelist Henri (Coel) as she struggles to shake up her life and embarks on a journey to get unstuck.
“Work has dried up, [and] her relationship is going nowhere. So when she’s offered a job on a film in Ghana, West Africa – her parents’ homeland, where her estranged father lives – she can’t resist the chance to reconnect with him and the country of her heritage,” the logline from HBO reads. “But when she arrives, neither the job nor her father turn out the way she expected, and soon Henri has to deal with danger and hypocrisy, form new friendships, lose her illusions, and create a new sense of identity – one that might leave her stronger, but could also break her.
HBO and BBC will co-produce the new series, with Succession creator Jesse Armstrong serving as executive producer, in partnership with A24 and Various Artists Limited (VAL).
“I am delighted to be working with VAL, HBO and the BBC again, and to partner with A24,” Coel said in a statement. “Thanks to all of their combined taste, care and expertise, I feel our show is in great hands. First Day on Earth is another very personal story for me, which I hope will engage viewers from all over the world, and I can’t wait for audiences to go on Henri’s journey with her.”
When it arrived in 2020, I May Destroy You was one of the most exciting new series, and Coel won an Emmy for Best Writing for a Limited Series.
“Michaela’s words have the ability to transport the reader like no other,” said Amy Gravitt, executive vp comedy programming at HBO and Max. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue the conversation that began with I May Destroy You, alongside our close collaborators at VAL, A24 and the BBC. With Henri as our guide, First Day on Earth is as lyrical as it is visceral in its excavation of the idea of home.”
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Featured image: Michaela Coel. mage Credit: Spencer Hewett
