Actor, writer, and director Jesse Eisenberg is expanding his behind-the-camera portfolio by developing an untitled television series with studio A24. Eisenberg is writing, directing, and executive producing the project, which will be presented to potential buyers in the coming weeks.
The upcoming series is based on one of Eisenberg’s short stories and centers on an 18-year-old young woman in the fall of 2002. According to Eisenberg, the narrative explores the early beginnings of culture wars as the protagonist’s established beliefs are challenged by new ideas and relationships.
Project Development and Production Details
While discussing his latest film project, The Debut-which stars Julianne Moore and premiered at the London Film Festival-Eisenberg shared insights into the themes driving his creative work. This television series marks a major milestone for Eisenberg as the first TV project he will write, direct, and produce simultaneously.
Former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice is attached as an executive producer under his overarching deal with A24. Rice was recently named Netflix’s chief content officer, which has sparked industry speculation about where the series might ultimately land.
Although no streaming platform or network is confirmed, and the series lacks a title, cast, or release date, analysts note that Netflix is a strong potential home due to Rice’s leadership. A24 has a history of successful collaborations with Netflix, including the Emmy Award-winning thriller series Beef, the upcoming spy drama featuring Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour, and Trigger Point starring Joel Edgerton.
Eisenberg’s Expansion Into Directing and Television
The new venture follows a busy period of writer-director projects for Eisenberg. He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed 2024 feature film A Real Pain, starring Kieran Culkin and Eisenberg, which earned Eisenberg an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and Culkin a win for Best Supporting Actor.
Before his recent directorial success, Eisenberg built an extensive career in film and television. He began acting as a child and joined the main cast of Fox’s comedy-drama series Get Real in 1999. He later earned an Oscar nomination for his starring role as Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s The Social Network. His recent television credits include a starring role in the 2022 FX limited series Fleishman Is in Trouble.
Eisenberg previously attempted television adaptations of his work. He developed a TV version of his 2016 short story collection Bream Gives Me Hiccups for Amazon and A24 roughly a decade ago, as well as a single-camera comedy titled The Market with J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television. Neither of those earlier efforts moved forward to series production.
As A24 and Eisenberg prepare to shop the new project to buyers, industry observers will watch closely to see which platform secures the culture-wars drama.
