Dan Harmon’s New Ancient Greece Animated Series Announced By Fox

Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon has been given a full series order for his new Fox animated series. According to reports, the unnamed series will be set in Ancient Greece and is currently aiming to premiere in 2022. This is the first project announced from the groundbreaking direct animation deal that Harmon signed with Fox last year when we first heard that this ancient Greece series was in development. The deal was for “broadcast network-only” content, so this will presumably not be a streaming series, like Harmon’s Rick and Morty partner Justin Roiland did with Solar Opposites on Hulu.

Early details provided about the series (via Fox) can be found below:

“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, the series is an outgrowth of the direct animation deal Harmon and FOX Entertainment unveiled last year. Wholly owned and financed by FOX Entertainment and to be produced by FOX’s Emmy Award-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment, the project also is the first series to move forward 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,” said FOX’s Michael Thorn. “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.”

Here’s are the details announced for Dan Harmon’s direct animation deal with Fox:

“FOX ENTERTAINMENT MAKES DIRECT ANIMATION DEAL WITH DAN HARMON TO CREATE ANIMATED COMEDY

Agreement Marks FOX Entertainment’s First Direct Animation Deal to
Receive Series Commitment

FOX Entertainment and Emmy Award-winning creator Dan Harmon (“Rick and Morty,” “Community”) have entered a broadcast network-only exclusive direct animation deal, it was announced today by Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment, FOX Entertainment.

Marking FOX Entertainment’s first direct animation deal to receive a series commitment, as part of the agreement, Harmon will create and develop a comedy series targeted to premiere in the spring of 2022. FOX Entertainment will produce the series, with Bento Box Entertainment serving as the program’s animation studio.

“Before joining the network ranks, I was an independent producer who had the opportunity to work with Dan on one of my very first projects. His singular voice, tenor and conviction to always deliver the unexpected in the stories he tells, let me know right away that he was a special talent,” said Thorn. “As one of the most prolific creators working in the business today – and as FOX’s animation brand continues to grow and evolve, with the support and guidance of Charlie Collier – there’s no better creative partner to have than Dan Harmon.”

Harmon’s hit series, “Rick & Morty,” is currently airing Season Four on cable’s Adult Swim, as part of a 70-episode order. Season Three broke ratings records as 2017’s #1 comedy in key demos and earned the series an Emmy® for Outstanding Animated Program. Harmon created and executive-produced the hit comedy series “Community,” which ran for six seasons, garnering multiple Emmy nominations, Critics Choice Awards and other accolades. In 2015, he executive-produced the Academy Award-nominated animated feature film “Anomalisa.”

Source: THR