Danielle Deadwyler Joins J.J. Abrams HBO Series ‘Demimonde’ in Lead Role

Danielle Deadwyler attends the National Board of Review
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Danielle Deadwyler, known for her roles in The Haves and the Have Nots and Station Eleven, has been tapped as the lead for J.J. Abrams‘ upcoming HBO series Demimonde.

According to Variety, Deadwyler plays Olive Reed, a woman who is ripped away from her husband and daughter in a brutal scientific accident. The series follows Reed as she sets about unraveling a conspiracy to reunite with her family, who are now lost to a dark and distant other world.

Demimonde has been in development since 2018 and is currently in early pre-production. Abrams will write, direct, and executive produce the series through his Bad Robot Productions. Kira Snyder, Rand Ravich, and Far Shariat serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Bad Robot’s Ben Stephenson and Rachel Rusch Rich are also on board as exec producers.

Deadwyler is no stranger to HBO, having recently played Miranda Carroll in HBO Max’s miniseries Station Eleven. She also appeared in an episode of HBO’s superhero limited series Watchmen. Her other credits include a series regular role on Tyler Perry‘s soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots and a recurring role on the Starz drama P-Valley. She will next be seen in Netflix’s upcoming romance drama From Scratch, where she stars opposite Zoe Saldana.

Abrams is known for his work on several iconic television shows, including Lost, Alias, and Felicity. However, Demimonde marks the director’s first TV writing credit since the Fox sci-drama Fringe in 2008. Abrams is also developing several other shows for HBO under his overall deal with WarnerMedia; this includes the Josh Holloway-starring Duster, superhero series Justice League Dark, and a TV spinoff of The Shining titled Overlook.

Demimonde, TBA, HBO