YouTube has finalized a deal for 10-episode series order to On Becoming A God In Central Florida, a 1990s-set one-hour dark comedy series, starring and executive produced by Kirsten Dunst. The series, set to premiere on YouTube Premium in 2019, hails from George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures and Sony’s TriStar Television.

Written by Robert Funke and Matt Lutsky based on a spec script they wrote, On Becoming A God is set near Orlando in the early 1990s. It centers on Krystal Gill (Dunst), a minimum-wage-earning water park employee who will eventually scheme her way up the ranks of Founders American Merchandise: the cultish, flag waving, multi-billion dollar pyramid scheme that drove her family to ruin.

In Krystal Gill, Funke and Lutsky have created a truly delicious, sometimes diabolical female character — a dirt poor, very fierce young woman who is relentless in her pursuit of the American dream inside of an Amway-like company,” Patmore Gibbs said in her last interview with Deadline before her death. “There is something incredibly compelling, heartbreaking and absurd about both she and the lost souls these multi-level marketing companies prey on, who look to find community, respect and a sense of self in all the wrong places.”

Dunst was everyone’sFunke, Lutsky, Dunst and Lanthimos executive produce alongside Esta Spalding, who will serve as showrunner, helmer Charlie McDowell (The Discovery), who will direct, and Oscar winners Clooney and Heslov (Argo) through Smokehouse. Sarah Shepard, who has been a big proponent of the project, oversees for Smokehouse.

Sony TV produces YouTube’s first big breakout original series hit, Cobra Kai, which was recently renewed for a second season.

Spider-Man alumna Dunst starred in the second season of FX’s limited series Fargo, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, and co-starred in Hidden Figures top choice for the role from the start and “was born to slay this role,” Patmore Gibbs said.

Sources

AMC is developing On Becoming A God In Central Florida, a 1990s-set one-hour dark comedy series, which has Kirsten Dunst attached to star and executive produce. The project, to be directed by The Lobster helmer Yorgos Lanthimos, hails from George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures, Sony’s TriStar Television and AMC Studios.

Written by Robert Funke and Matt Lutsky based on a spec script they wrote, On Becoming A God is a darkly comedic story about the cult of free enterprise and one woman’s relentless pursuit of the American Dream in the early ’90s. Recently widowed and left with nothing, minimum-wage Orlando water park employee Krystal Gill (Dunst) lies, schemes and cons her way up the ranks of Founders American Merchandise — the cultish, flag-waving, multibillion-dollar pyramid scheme that drove her to ruin in the first place.

Funke, Lutsky, Dunst and Lanthimos executive produce alongside Oscar winners Clooney and Heslov (Argo) through Smokehouse. The project, in early development, will be overseen by Sarah Shepard for Smokehouse.

Spider-Man alumna Dunst recently starred in the second season of FX’s limited series Fargo, earning Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Funke, Lutsky, Lanthimos, and Smokehouse Pictures are repped by CAA. Dunst is repped by UTA and Management 360. Lanthimos is also repped by LBI and Matthew Bates. Funky & Lutsky are also repped by Peter Heller

Sources