Phil Lord and Chris Miller frequently have their fingers in many pies. Right now they’ve got two features in the works, a Ryan Gosling astronaut film titled Hail Mary, and a sci-fi film titled Artemis.
Both of which are adapted from Andy Weir novels. They’re also attached to produce the Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse sequel, and have a recently-signed five year deal with Sony Pictures Televison.
So, that’s quite a lot. Let’s add another project to the pile! The filmmaking duo have set up a murder mystery comedy series titled The Afterparty at Apple. The show is set at a high school reunion afterparty, and each episode will retell the night’s events from a different character’s perspective, á la Rashomon.
Each episode will have its own unique visual format and genre to match that character’s personality, as key clues relating to the mystery are unearthed as we experience character’s perspective. Miller will serve as its creator and showrunner. He and Lord will executive produce the show via their Lord Miller banner, whose VP of Television Aubrey Lee will serve as a producer on the project.
Not only does this sound great, but it sounds like the perfect Lord and Miller project. They’ve always been an incredibly creative duo happy to tell stories in unique ways, and The Afterparty should give them a perfect opportunity to do so. It also sounds like an American Vandal-esque hit, something Apple TV+ desperately needs.
Apple’s current comedy slate includes the Hailee Steinfeld series Dickinson, the workplace sitcom Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet from the It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia gang, a Rafe Spall fertility comedy Trying, and the animated series Central Park from the Bob’s Burgers creators. They also have the new Jason Sudeikis series Ted Lasso premiering on on Friday, August 14.
Some of those shows might be good, even great, the problem is that it seems like very few people are watching them. An animated musical love letter to New York City from the Bob’s Burgers creators sounds like something that should be a big deal, but do you know anyone who’s watched it?
That’s Apple’s problem right now, so they could do with a show that pierces through pop culture and becomes must-see. Maybe The Afterparty can be that show. The creators and premise are all there for it to work out, but you never know what will become a hit.
#Peace.Love.TheAfterparty
