‘Lovecraft Country’: Yann Demange To Direct HBO Series From Jordan Peele & J.J. Abrams

In his U.S. TV debut, British helmer Yann Demange is set to direct and executive produce the first episode of HBO’s high-profile straight-to-series drama Lovecraft Country, from newly minted Oscar winner Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions, J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Warner Bros Television.

Based on the 2016 novel by Matt Ruff and written by Misha Green, Lovecraft Country follows Atticus Black as he joins up with his friend Letitia and his Uncle George to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father. This begins a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback.

Peele executive produces with Green, along with Bad Robot’s Abrams and Ben Stephenson.

Born in Paris and raised in London, Demange began his career filming live concerts and assisting on commercials and music promos. Demange went on to direct the Channel 4 series Top Boy, which was nominated for Best Director and Best Drama Serial BAFTAs and won Best Drama Serial at the Royal Television Society and the 2013 Broadcast awards. His other U.K. TV credits include Man in a Box for Channel 4, five-part satirical zombie drama series Dead Set written by Charlie Brooker, and five-part BBC series Criminal Justice, which was remade by HBO as The Night Of.

Demange is currently directing the feature White Boy Rick, starring Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bel Powley, Bruce Dern, YG and Brian Tyree Henry, for Studio 8 and Sony Pictures. He is repped by CAA, Independent Talent Group and Bloom Hergott Diemer.

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