Fox has ordered a new animated comedy series set in mythical ancient Greece from “Rick and Morty” co-creator Dan Harmon, the broadcast network said Monday.
Set to premiere in 2022 as the first project under Harmon’s animation deal with the broadcast network, the untitled show is “centered on a flawed family of humans, gods and monsters that tries to run one of the world’s first cities without killing each other.”
Voice casting for the series is underway and names will be announced in the coming months.
Harmon’s ancient Greek comedy marks the first series to be fully owned and financed by Fox Entertainment and produced by Fox’s Emmy Award-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment. It’s also the first show to receive a series order under Fox’s broadcast direct model.
“Leave it to Dan Harmon to turn the mythos of early Greek civilization into remarkably sharp commentary on today’s politics, celebrity and pop culture,” Michael Thorn, president of entertainment at Fox Entertainment, said. “This project is an incredibly irreverent family comedy as told by one of the town’s most inventive storytellers. We are proud to be partnered with Dan on this series, which strengthens our hold on the animation space and, as we continue to build Fox Entertainment, marks an important first step for us with our first fully owned scripted property.”
Harmon is best known for creating the beloved NBC comedy “Community,” and co-creating Adult Swim animated series “Rick & Morty” with Justin Roiland. “Rick and Morty” recently ended its fourth season, with Harmon, Roiland and their team already working on Season 5 as part of the large episode order the cable channel placed in 2018. In 2015, Harmon executive produced the Academy Award-nominated animated feature film “Anomalisa.”
Harmon joins a list of creators who have signed direct deals at Fox Entertainment, including Jeff Davis, Kyle Killen, Mara Brock Akil and Sarah Watson, who wrote and will executive produce Fox’s untitled film re-enactment project based on “The Goonies.”