Canal Plus Group is joining forces with Netflix for the first time on an original series with “On the Verge,” a daring L.A.-set comedy created by Julie Delpy, Variety has learned.
The series is being co-developed by the Creation Original label of the French pay TV channel Canal Plus and Paris-based company The FilmTV. Netflix will be co-producing the series. The project also marks Delpy’s first foray into TV drama.
The star, who’s been developing “On the Verge” for several years, first discussed the project with Variety in 2016. The English-language show revolves around a group of 40-something women who are grappling with being single and in complicated relationships in Los Angeles.
When speaking to Variety about the idea behind the show, Delpy said it would defy stereotypes of women in their forties.
“We picture them at peace with themselves, but that’s not how they are in real life. I’d like to show them in a way that we haven’t seen them before – show how crude and crazy they can be when they talk about men, sex and relationships,” said Delpy.
Studiocanal is expected to distribute the series, though it is believed that terms of the deal are still in negotiations with Netflix.
Delpy is best known for her work in front of and behind the camera on Richard Linklater’s trilogy “Before Sunrise,” “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight.” On top of starring opposite Ethan Hawke, she also co-wrote the scripts of all three movies with Linklater and Hawke, which earned her two Oscar nominations (for “Before Midnight” and “Before Sunset”).
Delpy’s French-language film credits include “Two Days in Paris” and “Two Days in New York.” She most recently directed the motherhood-themed drama “My Zoe,” which world premiered in the Platform section at the Toronto Film Festival in 2019.
Although they used to be rivals in France, Netflix and Canal Plus Group have grown closer in the past few months. Netflix signed a distribution agreement with Canal Plus Group in September to be carried through Canal Plus’ set-top boxes, allowing the streaming giant access to the French pay TV group’s subscriber base.