‘Dear White People’ TV Series Headed to Netflix

Dear White People – the sleeper hit of 2014 is headed to Netflix. The streaming giant just put in a series order for the adapted show that will bear the same name as the movie.

Justin Simien – who wrote and directed Dear White People – will also direct the series premiere, which is scheduled to debut on Netflix sometime in 2017.

Production is slated for later this year and Cindy Holland – vice president of original content at Netflix expressed her excitement with the project and praised Simien’s vision and addition to their creative force – “Justin is a gifted storyteller whose bold, unique vision is perfectly suited to Netflix. His original film ‘Dear White People’ announced the arrival of a fresh, creative voice that had everyone talking, and we’re excited to have Justin create this new series for our numbers worldwide.”

Simien’s concept for Dear White People started to take flight back in 2012 – when he produced the initial trailer with the aid of his tax refund. After landing at Sundance in 2014 – the film ended up charming the circuit and won the “breakthrough talent” award that year.

Dear White People gained momentum for its subject matter that is mired in race relations – a timely topic that is currently gripping the nation. The story captures the friction between a group of students of color and white students who attend a fictional Ivy League university.