Jacob Tierney poses backstage at ‘Hadestown’ on Broadway at The Walter Kerr Theatre on March 1, 2026, in New York City. (Bruce Glikas/WireImage via Getty Images)
A brand-new show is about to heat up at Netflix.
Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney is set to write, direct and executive produce a new series about Alexander the Great for the streamer.
The dramatic series, which is called Alexander, has received a straight-to-series order. It will be a period piece that explores the little-known story of Alexander the Great and his tutor, Aristotle, during the military commander’s relentless quest for dominance.
This new show will be based on Annabel Lyon’s novel The Golden Mean. It starts “as the Athenian empire is crumbling and the world’s greatest mind, Aristotle, arrives in Macedonia to tutor a volatile young prince, Alexander,” according to a description from Netflix. “Amid palace intrigue, forbidden love, brutal war and ruthless ambitions, their unlikely friendship shapes an empire and alters the course of history.”
Jason Bateman will executive produce the show along with Michael Costigan for Aggregate Films. Heated Rivalry‘s Brendan Brady will also executive produce.
Tierney says he fell in love with Lyon’s book years ago, and he’s “been dreaming of telling this story ever since.”
“Brendan and I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Aggregate and Netflix to bring this insanely compelling world to life,” Tierney continued.
Jinny Howe, Netflix’s head of U.S. and Canada scripted series, said, “Jacob Tierney is one of the most exciting, in-demand creative voices working today, and we are thrilled to work with him on Alexander.”
Howe continued, “We were immediately captivated by his vision for adapting Annabel Lyon’s acclaimed novel. This series reimagines the classic power struggle between mentor and protégé with a raw, modern energy that feels both epic and incredibly intimate.”
Poster for ‘Is God Is’ film ( Amazon MGM Studios / Orion Pictures)
Mallori Johnson and Kara Young star as twin sisters Anaia and Racine in the film adaptation of Aleshea Harris’ play Is God Is. Although both actors are singletons, they put in the work to form a convincing twin dynamic.
“Aleshea brought us in two weeks before we shot,” Mallori tells ABC Audio, describing how they worked with choreographer Raja Feather Kelly on different exercises, like trying to finish each other’s sentences, to ensure they were moving in sync.
She adds that the process was intentional, but their connection also developed naturally.
“We just genuinely got close. We built a real kinship outside of set. We spent a lot of time together. We were living in the same hotel, and we would meet each other all the time,” Mallori says. “And I think we have a very similar work ethic in that we just are very passionate about what we’re doing. … We were bonding off that.”
Mallori and Kara also dedicated time to research so they’d portray their characters with care. In the film, Anaia and Racine embark on a revenge mission against their father, who attempted to murder them and their mother in an attack that left them with severe burn scars.
Kara says they studied burn victims and followed people on social media who were “scarred from being burned and or being in a fire.”
“I wanted to approach it with true respect and regard for people with disabilities, especially visible disabilities, and understanding that to the best of my ability,” Mallori says.
Kara adds they also leaned on Aleshea throughout the process, noting, “It is her baby, and the story is just incredibly profound.”
Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek and Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton in season 4 of ‘Bridgerton.’ (Liam Daniel/Netflix)
(SPOILER ALERT) Dearest gentle reader, do make haste toward your nearest Netflix account, as part 2 of Bridgerton season 4 is finally available to stream.
This fairy-tale fourth season has centered around Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek’s (Yerin Ha) love story.
While there are many references to the book that inspired this season — Julia Quinn’s An Offer from a Gentleman — perhaps none were as highly anticipated as the scene where the main lovers intimately bathe together.
Thompson and Ha spoke to ABC Audio about what it was like to bring that moment to life in the season’s eighth episode.
“There was so many logistical obstacles we had to overcome that I think we just tried to have as much fun with it as possible,” Ha said. “Very quickly the pressure of getting it right and the pressure of making sure the fans were happy with it was put off to the side because we were thinking, ‘How do I stay above water?'”
Thompson laughed, before chiming in, “How do I not drown?”
The actor continued, saying although he knows fans were looking forward to the scene, he doesn’t “really buy into this idea of having to live up to anything” from the books.
“Bridgerton is absolutely a show that wants to meet the fans where they are, but is also a show that’s trying to surprise people as well and bring people where they don’t expect,” Thompson said. “I don’t feel that pressure because I think it’s not our job to deliver what people want. Our job is just to tell this story in the way that we can.”
