Joss Whedon is departing the HBO drama “The Nevers,” where he was set to write, direct and serve as showrunner.
“We have parted ways with Joss Whedon. We remain excited about the future of ‘The Nevers’ and look forward to its premiere in the summer of 2021,” HBO said in a statement.
“The Nevers” is an epic science-fiction drama about a gang of Victorian women who find themselves with unusual abilities and relentless enemies, and are on a mission that might change the world. The series is still expected to premiere next summer.
“The Nevers” was picked up straight-to-series in 2018 and was set to be Whedon’s first TV project since “Dollhouse,” which ran on Fox from 2009-2010.
“This year of unprecedented challenges has impacted my life and perspective in ways I could never have imagined, and while developing and producing ‘The Nevers’ has been a joyful experience, I realize that the level of commitment required moving forward, combined with the physical challenges of making such a huge show during a global pandemic, is more than I can handle without the work beginning to suffer,” Whedon said in a statement. “I am genuinely exhausted, and am stepping back to martial my energy towards my own life, which is also at the brink of exciting change. I am deeply proud of the work we have done; I’m grateful to all my extraordinary cast and collaborators, and to HBO for the opportunity to shape yet another strange world. ‘The Nevers’ is a true labor of love, but after two-plus years of labor, love is about all I have to offer. It will never fade.”
Casting for “The Nevers” was completed months ago. The ambitious drama features an expansive cast that is led by Laura Donnelly and includes Olivia Williams (“Counterpart”), James Norton (“McMafia”), Tom Riley (“Dark Heart”), Ann Skelly (“Death and Nightingales”), Ben Chaplin (“The Thin Red Line”), Pip Torrens (“The Crown”), Zackary Momoh (“Seven Seconds”), Amy Manson (“Torchwood”), Nick Frost (“Fighting With My Family”), Rochelle Neil (“Terminator: Dark Fate”), Eleanor Tomlinson (“Poldark”), Denis O’Hare (“Big Little Lies,” “Late Night”), Sonia Sawar (“Black Mirror”), Elizabeth Berrington (“Waterloo Road”), Ella Smith (“Babylon”), Viola Prettejohn (“Counterpart”), Anna Devlin (“Hanna”) and Martyn Ford (“Kingsman: The Golden Circle”).
The news regarding Whedon leaving “The Nevers” was first reported by Cinemablend.