Issa Rae is going back to where it all started. HBO has given a pilot order to an untitled half-hour comedy from Rae, set in the world of professional boxing in Las Vegas. Prentice Penny, who served as showrunner on all five seasons of Insecure, is back with her as writer, showrunner, executive producer, and pilot director. The two of them built one of the most beloved comedies of the last decade together. Now they're doing it again, with a completely different world as the backdrop.
The show centers on Menzel, a 30-year-old barber and aspiring sports manager who is the professional best friend to JB, an up-and-coming boxer. The two navigate ambition, insecurity, loneliness, and the complicated reality of what success actually costs inside the high-stakes Las Vegas boxing scene.
The Issa Rae and Prentice Penny pairing matters. Insecure was a writers' room show at its best, and Penny was the person who helped shape the structure and tone from the inside throughout its entire run. Having him as the director of the pilot and the showrunner means the creative vision isn't filtered through someone else's sensibility.
Rae produces through Hoorae, her production company, with Jax Clark executive producing alongside her. A Penny For Your Thoughts handles Penny's producing duties. Jonathan Berry and Dave Becky of 3 Arts Entertainment are also on board.
Insecure ran for five seasons on HBO and ended in 2021 with one of the most talked-about series finales in recent memory. Since then, Rae has been busy on the film side, but her return to the network that launched her television career is the kind of news that lands. HBO has the pilot. The next step is a series order.
No premiere date or casting has been announced yet.
