WaenerMedia’s upcoming streaming service, HBO Max has been given an eight-episode straight-to-series order for Circe, which is based Madeline Miller’s best-selling work of the same name. Described as taking a modern-day approach to Greek mythology, the series will be written and produced by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Planet of the Apes, Jurassic World) in partnership with Chernin Entertainment and Endeavor Content.
Told from the powerful feminist perspective of Circe herself, the drama will follow the goddess as she transforms from an “awkward nymph to a formidable witch, able to challenge gods, titans and monsters alike.”
The novel’s official synopsis reads:
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child–not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power–the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.
With unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language and page-turning suspense, Circe is a triumph of storytelling, an intoxicating epic of family rivalry, palace intrigue, love and loss, as well as a celebration of indomitable female strength in a man’s world.
“Circe tells an epic story of love, loss, tragedy and immortal conflict, all through the eyes of a fierce female lens,” Head of original programming, Sarah Aubrey mentioned in a statement. “I’ve been a longtime fan of Rick and Amanda’s work and their ability to simultaneously build epic imaginative worlds while creating emotional dynamic characters. In partnership with Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping, we have the dream team to bring Circe to life.”
Jaffa and Silver’s other credits include the upcoming Mulan remake for Disney and the first two sequels for Avatar. WarnerMedia’s HBO Max will launch its beta service later this year, before officially rolling out scripted and original programming in 2020.