‘The Mothership’ Writer-Director Matt Charman Lands First Netflix Project Since Halle Berry Movie Was Axed

Max Goldbart
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: The Mothership writer-director Matt Charman has landed his first Netflix project since the Halle Berry movie was axed by the streamer, Deadline understands.

We are told that Charman is writing a UK-set TV series thriller set in the upper echelons of the British political sphere titled The Choice, with filming set to start in London imminently and the show due to be unveiled tomorrow at a Netflix event in the English capital.

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The Choice is the first Netflix role for BAFTA-winning British star Suranne Jones, who will also be an executive producer.

During a 25-year-long career, Jones has appeared in hits including Doctor Foster, Vigil and Gentleman Jack, all of which sold to the U.S. Other credits include Channel 4’s I Am Victoria and Sky’s Save Me, while she is also working on a drama based on the life of five-time female world boxing champion Jane Couch.

Charman is writing The Choice and Vigil director Isabelle Sieb is directing. Deadline understands the show will be revealed on a slate at Netflix’s glitzy See What’s Next event in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue tomorrow, a do that will feature the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch discussing Abi Morgan series Eric and Billie Piper on highly-anticipated Prince Andrew feature Scoop.

Charman’s production outfit Binocular Productions, which also made Netflix spy series Treason, is behind The Choice, and more projects between the pair are understood to be in the pipeline.

The Choice represents a swift return to working with Netflix for Charman, who was Oscar-nominated for 2015’s The Bridge of Spies, which he co-wrote with Joel Coen and Ethan Coen.

Halle Berry-starring sci-fi title The Mothership was close to completion in January of this year before it was axed by the streamer, a move that has become commonplace in Hollywood of late but rarely by Netflix.

Netflix was quick to point out the “very rare” nature of the move, which content boss Bela Bajaria stressed at a press conference the following week, adding that there were “lots of production issues” and “everybody on both sides, the talent and us all, just agreed that it was better to not launch it.”

Netflix is still making Berry-starrer The Union and has a deal with the Oscar winner that remains in place.

Canceling movies and shows close to completion or even after launch has become more common in recent years, with Warner Bros. Discovery killing several big-budget movies and Paramount+ recently culling a raft of international originals, many of which had already debuted on the service.

Netflix declined to comment on The Choice.

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