The indie series Penelope, co-created by Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn, has finally found a home as Netflix has acquired the U.S. rights to the series.
During an appearance at SeriesFest, the show’s primary two-person creative team announced that the process of finding a distributor was strange after its debut at the Sundance Festival because many parties were interested.
While talking about the experience, Duplass noted: “We’ve done independent films before, where you have a few hundred thousand dollars, and we go out, make the film and sell it. There really isn’t a model yet of independently made television where you make the whole season and try to sell it.”
Eventually, they decided to go with Netflix, who have accepted the eight-episode first season and put a plan in place that includes the possibility of a second season.
“We’ve basically absolved [Netflix]… of the responsibility to make us their flagship show,” Duplass said while explaining that they didn’t want a major spotlight associated with the release.
He added: “We’re saying … ‘Just put us on the service. We’re going to sign a very short deal with you guys, and we’re going to see how it does. That way, at Netflix, you’re not taking an oversised, outsised risk on the show. You’re not going to be pissed off if it doesn’t work and turn around and say, ‘Independent television is never going to work. We’re not doing it again.’ We’ve mitigated their risk.”
Battling against requests from producers to change the material, they have stood by their original creation, which is soon going to be introduced to the world.
