29 Netflix Projects Currently In Development

29 Netflix Projects Currently In Development
by Jonathan Figueroa – on Jul 05, 2018 in Lists

The powerhouse of video streaming is dominating the entertainment industry, and they still have so much in store for binge-watchers. Whether it's primetime dramas, comic book serials, crime documentaries, or the latest movies, Netflix is constantly adding new content to its service.

However, most of that content belongs to other networks. The service famously makes deals with all kinds of media outlets to acquire the some of the most popular content on television, but lately Netflix has been doing a ton of content-creating of its own.

While it already streams plenty of its own hit original movies and TV shows, a truckload of Netflix exclusive content is on its way with A-list actors, writers, and filmmakers. For this list, we're going to look at Netflix's biggest upcoming projects to see if your new favorite show is right around the corner. There's something here for everybody — drama, action, comedy, horror, animation — and this list only scratches the surface!

Keep in mind that these productions are in various stages of development, and some of them may never even make it to consumers. Some projects were just announced, some are in the middle of shooting, and some might be ready to drop in only a few weeks. Don't skip over something you've never heard of, though — some of these new properties already sound destined for binge-worthy glory.

Are you bored and looking for something new to watch? Are you buried under your list of Netflix recommendations from friends?  Regardless where you fall, be prepared to find a new obsession.

Here are 30 Netflix Projects Currently In Development.

29 Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina

Riverdale has become a flagship series on the CW, introducing a whole new generation to the world of Archie comics with a noir twist. One element of Archie's world seemed to be missing, though — Sabrina, the teenage witch.

No longer a lighthearted sitcom and instead based on the 2014 comic of the same name, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was reportedly designed as companion show to CW's Riverdale. However, the show will instead land on Netflix with a two-season, 20 episode run.

It's expected to hit Netflix later this year, starring Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men, The Legend of Korra), as Sabrina Spellman.

Oh, and Salem the cat will be there too.

28 The Witcher TV Series

The famous novel series by Andrzej Sapkowski (and critically acclaimed video game series) is getting the Netflix treatment. The Witcher is being developed by Plastige Image animation studio in association with Netflix, and is currently in the casting process.

The show will follow series protagonist Geralt of Rivia as he hunts fantastical monsters, with the show's director stating that the project will take much inspiration from the video game franchise.

Despite being in early stages, the production already sounds promising. Who knows — if The Witcher comes together, Netflix may have a hit fantasy series up their sleeve to rival HBO's Game of Thrones.

27 Stranger Things, Season 3

Everybody's favorite sci-fi throwback will be returning for its third season, and naturally it's being kept quite secret. Little is known about it other than some of the basics.

The show will pick up in 1985, during the height of Back To The Future's popularity.

Most of the cast is returning with newcomer Maya Hawke as "Robin", alongside three new additions that have not yet been cast. The gang got a pay raise for the upcoming season and other some behind-the-scenes sizzle, no footage is public yet.

San Diego Comic Con sounds like a safe bet for those eagerly awaiting a first look, but the rumor is that the season won't drop until 2019.

26 Fast and Furious Animated Series

Fast fam should rejoice, as the over-the-top action franchise is coming to the small screen. The Fast and Furious animated series is coming to Netflix courtesy of their deal with Dreamworks Animation Studios.

The show will follow Tony Toretto, who — like his big-screen cousin Dom — becomes entangled in the world of international crime and car-centric action.

The project even has film series producers on board, including Vin Diesel himself.

Dreamworks is at the top of its game lately, with shows Trollhunters and Voltron: Legendary Defender being big hits on Netflix. Hopefully Fast and Furious will join their ranks as another source of family-friendly action.

25 The Umbrella Academy

This darling comic illustrated by Gabriel Bá and written by Gerard Way (yes, yes, from My Chemical Romance) is getting a Netflix series.

The Umbrella Academy, which follows a family of disparate, dysfunctional superhero siblings, will be landing on Netflix sometime later this year.

The show is already filming with Way onboard as executive producer, and a cast including Oscar nominees Ellen Page and Mary J. Blige.

Of course, this isn't the first time The Umbrella Academy was set to be adapted. The series was optioned for a Universal Studios movie back in 2015, although the plans fell through. Thankfully, with Netflix's experience with Marvel television, this production sounds like it's right at home.

24 Lost In Space, Season 2

This reboot of the classic TV show took many by surprise. Lost in Space has been a dormant franchise since the critical failure of the 1998 film, but the Netflix series turned out to be a fun, family-driven sci-fi with high production value. If you haven't checked it out, it might be worth a try — especially since season two is officially on its way.

There's no release date just yet, but plans for the second season were already in the works before the show was even renewed. 

Lost In Space made a comeback with season one, but the mixed reviews show that there is still room for improvement.

It's a solid update to an aging franchise, so hopefully season two means more danger for Will Robinson, and less danger of cancellation.

23 Maniac

Cary Fukunaga, the director behind Jane Eyre, True Detective season 1, and Beasts of No Nation, is at the helm of a new Netflix comedy series called Maniac.

Maniac is based on a Norwegian television show of the same name, and stars Jonah Hill and Emma Stone.

The black comedy will follow two people living amazing (and imaginary) lives, who discover they have actually been trapped in a mental institution. Little is known about the project aside from its basic premise and glimpses via first look photos, though it is expected to hit the service later this year. The two will also be joined by Sally Fields and Justin Theroux.

22 She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power

If Voltron: Legendary Defender is any indication, Netflix and Dreamworks should be rebooting plenty of '80s cartoons. Next on their list? She-Ra and the Princesses of Power.

This He-Man off-shoot is set for a major return (without He-Man around, this time) later this year. She-Ra is already fully cast and is helmed by Noelle Stevenson, illustrator on the beloved Lumberjanes and Nimona comic series.

With the newfound prevalence of female superheroes and many more to come, this seems like the perfect series to bring back. Between the creative talent and the track record of the Netflix-Dreamworks partnership, it sounds like a surefire hit.

21 The Irishman

Martin Scorsese's biopic about the infamous slaying of Jimmy Hoffa was originally slated for release in theaters. However, as the budget for the film began to climb, Paramount Pictures, STX Entertainment, and the film's personal financiers became less interested in its development.

Netflix acquired the rights to The Irishman, meaning the project will be a Netflix-exclusive release.

The film's inflated budget (reportedly going from $100 million to $140 million) is the result of high-end digital de-aging effects. Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci are supposedly going to appear nearly 30 years young in flashback sequences. These ambitious effects can make or break the film, so let's hope they're worth the money.

20 Guillermo Del Toro Presents 10 After Midnight

Visionary (and now Oscar-winning) filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro has a passion project heading to Netflix, and it's one that will make horror fans very, very happy.

Guillermo Del Toro Presents 10 After Midnight is an upcoming horror anthology series, consisting of Del Toro's "personally curated stories that are both equally sophisticated and horrific." Does this sound incredible or what?

Del Toro is an extremely versatile filmmaker— from Hellboy to Pan's Labrinth to Pacific Rim to The Shape of Water, he has tackled dozens of genres with tons of his own personal flair. While the series is still in early stages, it already sounds like one of the most unique projects slated for Netflix.

19 House of Cards, Season 7

One of Netflix's most popular in-house productions is returning for its sixth and final season — without its lead, Frank Underwood. After the many allegations against Kevin Spacey were made public, Netflix briefly suspended production on House of Cards before Spacey was removed entirely.

The final season will consist of eight episodes and will feature Robin Wright's Claire Underwood in the lead as the show wraps up loose-ends.

The sixth season was supposedly going to be the last season anyway, but it's a shame that Spacey's controversy has tainted the series during its final stretch.

18 The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance

Jim Henson's 1982 cult classic fantasy is getting a prequel series on Netflix.

The Dark Crystal is beloved for its groundbreaking special effects and notably darker aesthetic from Henson's typical work. This creatives behind Age of Resistance hope to recreate the original's signature look, and it sounds like they're right on track.

The production is being handled by The Jim Henson Company, using a blend of CGI and trademark puppetry to bring the world of Thra to life again.

The series will be helmed by Louis Leterrier, director of The Transporter, The Incredible Hulk, and Now You See Me. There is currently no release date for the project.

17 Locke And Key

The supernatural horror comic by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez has had an adaptation in production for a while now. The series was originally set for Hulu, but after passing on the pilot episode, the production was picked up by Netflix and is now getting an overhaul, including the replacement of main cast members and It director Andy Muschietti.

Locke and Key follows three siblings who discover magic keys that open passages to other dimensions.

Through these passages comes a demon, who hunts the siblings to take the keys for itself. 

With Stranger Things at peak popularity, this sounds like another hit for Netflix — let's just hope that the show's redevelopment isn't a wasted effort.

16 Dolemite Is My Name

Eddie Murphy has been out of the spotlight for too long. Thankfully, he has plans to make a gracious return in the Netflix exclusive Dolemite Is My Name, a biopic about musician-entertainer Rudy Ray Moore.

Moore was famous for his comedy and music, but mainly for playing Dolemite in his titular blaxploitation film series. The movies follow the heroic kung-fu fighter named Dolemite as he protects his community.

Eddie Murphy has long been interested in the biopic, and it sounds like the right balance of comedy and drama to get him back in the limelight. The supporting cast also features A-list talent, with the likes of Craig Robinson, Keegan Michael Key, and Wesley Snipes onboard.

15 The Carmen Sandiego Animated Series and Movie

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? She's probably somewhere in the Netflix offices, as the company plans to launch two new projects based on the titular edutainment icon.

The first production is a Carmen Sandiego animated series starring Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez, set for 2019.

Netflix also purchased the film rights for the franchise, so Rodriguez is expected to reprise the role in live-action.

Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? is a multimedia franchise revolving around super-criminal Carmen Sandiego, who adventures around the world to steal priceless items. The franchise aims to teach children geography, and now it'll do so on Netflix.

14 The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs

From Raising Arizona to The Big Lebowski to O Brother Where Art Thou?, Joel and Ethan Coen have produced countless hits. While the brothers certainly aren't done making feature films, they are finally trying their hand at their own TV western — The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

The show is a six-episode anthology series made up of original short stories by the Coen brothers.

Some cast members have already been announced, including Liam Neeson, James Franco, Zoe Kazan, and frequent Coens-collaborator Tim Blake Nelson as the titular Buster Scruggs. The show doesn't have a specific release date just yet, though it is expected to land on Netflix sometime later this year.

13 Ratched

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest's infamous villain, the abusive Nurse Ratched, is getting her own Netflix series. Ratched will be a prequel and origin story, detailing her early life and the events that form her into the monstrous, vindictive head nurse of the Salem State Hospital.

The classic film is widely regarded as one of the best ever made, and Louise Fletcher's portrayal of Nurse Ratched has become synonymous with evil and villainy.

It's probably not the origin story that everybody was clamoring for, but the show already sounds pretty intense.

Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story, Ocean's 8) will portray young Nurse Ratched in the two-season, 18-episode series.

12 The Politician

A pilot for a show called The Politician was quite the hot ticket earlier in the year, as the bidding war surrounding it ended once it received a series order by Netflix.

This upcoming comedy series will star Dear Evan Hansen's Ben Platt as Payton, an aspiring politician who must deal with the stress of a new political race every season.

Platt is joined by Oscar-winners Gwyneth Paltrow and Barbara Streisand in unknown roles.

The series will reportedly feature some social commentary in its humor, as well as some musical numbers. While details are still scarce, it must be quite the show considering even Amazon and Hulu were fighting over it.

11 Raising Dion

Based on a short film and comic by Dennis Liu, this upcoming Netflix series deals with the struggles of a single mother named Nicole Reese and her son Dion. Dion discovers that he has mysterious superhuman powers, which his mother tries to keep secret from looming evil forces.

The show is currently in the casting process, with many names already attached. Shadowhunters' Alisha Wainwright and newcomer Ja'Siah Young will portray Nicole and Dion Reese, with Michael B. Jordan set to play Mark Reese, Nicole's husband.

The superhero genre might be getting stale for some, but it's nice to see that a fresh superhero story is getting a major adaptation.

10 The Spy

You might know him for his comedic roles in Borat and The Dictator, but Sacha Baron Cohen is going to star in a Netflix series that sounds far more serious.

The Spy is an espionage drama about Eli Cohen, Israel's top secret agent during the 1960s.

The six-episode miniseries will star Cohen — as the spy, Cohen — as he goes undercover in Syria in order to undermine the country's regime.

This seems like a radically different role for Cohen — the funny one — and it will be interesting to see what he brings to it. He will be joined by Noah Emmerich (The Americans) and Alexander Siddig (Game of Thrones).

9 Hold The Dark

Jeremy Saulnier may not be an A-list director but he made an impression with his 2015 horror film Green Room. Now, the director is creating a project for Netflix that sounds just as brutal: Hold The Dark.

Adapted from the William Giraldi novel of the same name, Hold The Dark stars Westworld's Jeffrey Wright as a biologist who journeys to the Alaskan wilderness to investigate wolf activity that has resulted in the several attacks. Wright's character must deal with vicious predators, a hostile environment, and even a violent criminal investigation.

The film is already complete, and is set to premiere at a film festival this fall before it hits Netflix.

8 I Am A Killer

The true crime genre has become extremely popular recently — and those of you who can't get enough are in for a treat. Netflix and the A+E Network UK are teaming up to produce I Am A Killer, a new docuseries that interviews and profiles criminals awaiting capital punishment.

Each episode will focus on a single criminal and the details of their crimes, as well as their thoughts about their fates.

How's that for an edgy crime series? Sadly, US viewers will need to wait a while — the series will air in the UK, Italy, and Poland before it hits Netflix.

7 Green Eggs And Ham Animated Series

To our surprise, and maybe yours too, Green Eggs And Ham is coming to Netflix - it's true!

Announced back in 2015 on The Ellen Degeneres Show, an animated series based Dr. Seuss's classic children's book is in development. The show will be a buddy-comedy road trip following Sam-I-Am and the formerly nameless "Guy" as they go on adventures and try new things.

Degeneres is one of the many producers on the series, and although she is a well-known voice-actor, she has not been announced as a cast member. Frankly, news on the project has been scarce ever since.

Let's be real, though — Ellen is the perfect Sam-I-Am, right?

6 Ava Duvernay's Central Park Five

The story of the wrongly convicted Central Park Five is coming to Netflix via a scripted miniseries by Selma and A Wrinkle In Time director Ava Duvernay. The project comes Tribeca Productions, Participant Media, and Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films.

Each episode will focus on a different member of the Central Park Five, and will explore the failures of the United States criminal justice system.

Ava Duvernay has expressed much passion in her involvement, and while the story is certainly complex and emotional, her work on Selma proves that the series is in great hands.

5 Disenchantment

Matt Groening is ready to add another animated hit to his filmography — first The Simpsons, then Futurama, and now Disenchantment. 

The show will depict a day in the life of addicted princess Bean, her cohort Elfo, and her personal demon named Luci.

The three will tackle the many tropes of the fantasy genre during its currently slated 20-episode run over two seasons.

Groening is writing and producing the series, which of course features his iconic art style. The show is farther along than most other shows on this list — Disenchantment's first trailer dropped only days ago, and the show itself hits Netflix on August 17, 2018.

4 Norm MacDonald Has A Show

Legendary comedian and Saturday Night Live veteran Norm MacDonald is getting his very own show on Netflix.

The series is to consist of ten episodes; each one featuring a celebrity guest as well as MacDonald's signature anti-jokes and quirky sense of humor. This ought to be a nice step-up from his weekly podcast, Norm MacDonald Live, as his trusty collaborator and podcast co-host Adam Eget will be joining the project as well.

Norm MacDonald Has A Show will be joining the likes of Letterman, The Joel McHale Show, and The Break With Michelle Wolf as Netflix's exclusive talk show programming. David Letterman himself is onboard as a creative partner.

3 The Magic Order

Doesn't this look like a comic? Well, that's because it is.

Last year, Netflix announced a deal with comic creator Mark Millar via the acquisition of his personal imprint, Millarworld. This gives Netflix the ability to adapt his most popular stories, including Kingsman, Chrononauts, Wanted, Kick-Ass, as well as any new comics he creates.

A tale about a secret society of magicians called The Magic Order is being promoted as Netflix's first foray into comics.

Although it's being published through Image Comics, Netflix has produced a cinematic trailer for the book, suggesting it may have bigger plans for it in the future.

2 Tales of Arcadia: Wizards & 3 Below

Guillermo Del Toro's animated Netflix series Trollhunters has been extremely well received. Good thing too, because Del Toro's work on the series is hardly over.

Trollhunters is getting two companion shows: Wizards and 3 Below. These three shows will form Del Toro' Tales of Arcadia trilogy, and further explore the mysterious sci-fi fantasy worlds around the small town of Arcadia Oaks.

Wizards will have the Arcadia characters entangled in a magical war, while 3 Below will deal with aliens hiding in the suburban town as they try to return to their home planet. 3 Below will release on Netflix later this year, while Wizards is currently slated for 2019.

1 Apostle

Gareth Evans, director of the martial arts thriller The Raid, is coming to Netflix with his new period-piece: Apostle.

Apostle stars Dan Stevens (Legion) as a man whose sister is held for ransom by a fanatical religious cult in 1905.

The film follows Stevens' character as he journeys to save his sister on the remote island where the cult resides.

The synopsis of the film goes as far as stating that the cult "will regret the day that it baited this man" — which sounds like the kind of promising thriller Evans is known for. No word yet on his trademark martial arts action, though this will likely be a much more grounded endeavor.

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Which Netflix projects are you most excited for? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

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