Issa Rae and Tracy Oliver are back in business together, and buyers are already fighting over what they cooked up. The two are behind Open, an hourlong drama series that has drawn seven offers as it heats up the TV marketplace, one of the more competitive packages to hit town this season.
The premise is built to spark conversation. In Open, a married couple who did everything by the book decide to open their marriage in a last-ditch effort to save it. That choice sends shockwaves through their tight Houston friend group, igniting affairs, exposing secrets, and forcing everyone around them to confront the lies holding their own relationships together. It is a juicy, grown-and-messy setup, exactly the lane both creators know how to work.
Oliver co-created the series with Rae and will run it as showrunner. The two executive produce alongside Jax Clark through Rae's Hoorae banner, Brian Dobbins for Artists First, and David Becky and Jonathan Berry for 3 Arts Entertainment. The project is produced by Paramount Television Studios under Rae's first-look deal there.
Oliver and Rae came up together, dating back to the early days of Rae's web series work, long before either became a household name. Since then, both have turned into serious power players. Rae built an empire off Insecure and Rap Sh!t and now runs one of the busiest shingles in the business. Oliver wrote Girls Trip, created Harlem, and directed The Blackening, carving out a reputation as one of the sharpest comedic voices in the industry.
No network or streamer has closed the deal yet, and no cast has been announced. What is clear is that the package is one of the hotter items on the market right now, and that the team behind it has a track record of turning big swings into hits.
More is expected once Open lands its home.
