After Chris McCarthy, a Paramount Global executive, took over the network Showtime just a few months ago, he has been in talks about expanding the Billions franchise. He has just officially announced that several spin-off projects based on the the drama series are in progress, via Deadline.
Billions is an American drama television series on Showtime. The series follows the character of Bobby Axelrod who is played by Damian Lewis (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as he climbs his way to the top with wealth and power in the world of high finance. Brian Koppelman (Runaway Jury, Runner Runner), David Levien (Runaway Jury, Runner Runner), and Neil Burger (Voyagers, The Upside) serve as executive producers on the show.
Levien and Koppelman have been in a particular business deal with Showtime that would allow them to develop “as many as four series connected to the Billions franchise — including Millions and Trillions“, via The Hollywood Reporter. McCarthy confirmed in an interview with WSJ that the show not only will have these spinoffs but that they will be designed to give its viewers different entry points and understandings of the fictional worlds of money and power.
The drama is one of Showtime’s longest running dramas. These spinoffs are already in development and expand into “ powerful high-stakes worlds”, says McCarthy via Deadline. These new installments take place all over the map from Miami, to London, and New York. Not only are the locations new, but the people are different as well. For example, Deadline provides details that Billions:Miami will focus on clientele in the world of private aviation where their wealth sets them apart from the rules of society.
This news comes fresh after the announcement that Parmount+ will merge with Showtime. The merging of the streaming service and the cable-network has resulted in more series cancellations, but as of now Billions is safe. Season seven of the series is already in production and will come out this year.
Though the merger saw the end of many Showtime series, McCarthy via WSJ goes on to speak for the network and says it plans on “reinvesting in shows they know will work.”
Seasons one through six of Billions are available to stream now on Showtime.