Netflix has ordered the limited series “The Madness” with Colman Domingo set to star, Variety has learned.
“The Madness,” which will consist of eight episodes, is described as a conspiracy thriller. It centers on “media pundit Muncie Daniels (Domingo), who must fight for his innocence and his life after he stumbles upon a murder deep in the Poconos woods. As the walls close in, Muncie strives to reconnect with his estranged family – and his lost ideals – in order to survive.”
“‘The Madness’ is a fresh take on the conspiracy thriller — turning the genre on its head with its multi-layered characters, propulsive action and swift pace,” said Peter Friedlander, vice president of scripted series at Netflix for the US and Canada. “We are proud to have such a powerhouse team assembled to bring this dynamic story to life for Netflix viewers around the world, and to continue producing great entertainment with team Chernin.”
Stephen Belber created the series and serves as executive producer and co-showrunner. VJ Boyd will also serve as executive producer and co-showrunner. Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and Kaitlin Dahill of Chernin Entertainment will also executive produce. Clément Virgo will direct and executive produce the first two and last two episodes, while Quyen Tran and Jessica Lowrey will each direct two episodes as well. Chernin Entertainment is currently under a first-look deal with Netflix.
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“Stephen Belber and VJ Boyd thrive in creating suspense driven emotional stories that connect with broad audiences,” said Jenno Topping, president of Chernin Entertainment. “We look forward to seeing them bring this timely conspiracy thriller to life and to continue our partnership with Netflix.”
Domingo won an Emmy for best guest actor in a drama series for his work in the hit HBO show “Euphoria.” In television he is also known for starring in the AMC series “Fear the Walking Dead” as Victor Strand. In film, Domingo recently wrapped production on the biopic “Rustin,” in which he will play gay rights activist Bayard Rustin. He has also starred in films like “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Lincoln,” “Selma,” “If Beale Street Could Talk,” and “Zola.”
He is repped by Gersh, Liebman Entertainment, and Schreck Rose.
Belber previously wrote and and directed films such as “Match,” “Management,” and “O.G.” He also co-wrote the film “The Laramie Project” and wrote “Tape,” the latter of which was directed by Richard Linklater. His next film, “What We Do Next,” will open in theaters March 3. Belber is also an accomplished playwright, having written plays such as “Dusk Rings A Bell,” “Geometry of Fire,” and “Fault Lines.”
He is repped by Verve, Kaplan / Perrone Entertainment, and Goodman Genow.
