Marta Kauffman is on a roll. The co-creator of one of the biggest sitcoms in history, Friends, found success again with Netflix original series Grace & Frankie, and now her production office Okay Goodnight is behind two new high-profile projects: one for premium network/streamer HBO and another for Amazon’s streaming service, reports Deadline.
Currently in development for HBO is the miniseries We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, which will star none other than Natalie Portman. The actress Black Swan star will also serve as executive producer. The series is based on Karen Joy Fowler’s novel of the same name, which follows university student Rosemary Cooke (Portman) who had a “complex and unusual” upbringing, including the disappearance of her “twin sister” who is (spoiler alert) actually a chimpanzee.
Along with Kauffman, several other top names in the business are attached to the project, including Christopher Monger, the co-writer of HBO’s Temple Gradin, and Gideon Raff, who co-created Homeland and Tyrant. Monger will pen the script for the project, while Raff will serve as executive producer with Portman, Kauffman, and Robbie Tollin.
Meanwhile, Kauffman will also be busy with her Amazon project, having sold an American version of popular Israeli drama Shtisel to the service. The American version will be called Emmis, and the story digs deep into the orthodox community. It will be written, directed, and executive produced by Etan Cohen, best known as the writer for comedy film Tropic Thunder.
In addition to these two new projects, Kauffman is currently in production for the third season of Grace & Frankie, which stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. The show has been well-received, earning two Emmy nominations this year, including one for Tomlin which will mark her second nod in a row for the role of the eccentric Frankie.
