Stephen Markley’s (author, Publish This Book) debut novel Ohio is being adapted into a television series for HBO, via The Hollywood Reporter. The showrunner for Euphoria, Sam Levinson (writer and director, Malcolm & Marie), will serve as the executive producer on Ohio, and will work alongside Markley on the series.
Ohio is centered on a fictitious Midwestern town left in shambles following the events of the 2008 recession. After suffering under the stress of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in addition to an opioid crisis, the country’s spirit is broken and disillusioned, via The Hollywood Reporter. During the summer of 2013, four former classmates reunite in their hometown to reexamine their lives and experiences. Markley’s novel released to immensely positive reviews in 2018. According to The Hollywood Reporter, NPR called the novel a “wild, angry, and devastating masterpiece of a book”.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Markley is set to write the series about the generation that has grown up knowing nothing other than war, recession, and the denigration of society. In addition to Markley and Levinson, Kevin Turen (producer, All Is Lost), Andrew Mittman (executive producer, The Addams Family), Steve Stark (executive producer, Fairly Legal) and Ashley Levinson (producer, Pieces of a Woman), Sam Levinson’s wife, are set to executive produce.
The upcoming series is apart of Levinson’s longtime relationship with HBO, which began back in 2017. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the relationship started when Levinson co-wrote The Wizard of Lies, which was directed by Levinson’s father, Barry Levinson (executive producer, Shades of Blue).
Euphoria, Levinson’s critically acclaimed teen drama, is currently in production on its second season. While Euphoria continues his relationship with HBO, the series has also launched Levinson’s partnership with Zendaya (Spiderman: Far From Home). The actress has starred in both Euphoria as Rue, as well as Marie in Levinson’s Malcolm & Marie.