Netflix has ordered a 10 episode television adaptation of Justin Simien’s 2014 indie film Dear White People. The television series will follow a group of students of color dealing with the trials and tribulations of young adult life while also wrestling with issues of race, class, privilege and power at a fictional Ivy League college.
Dear White People was Simien’s first feature length film and received critical acclaim on the festival circuit and other platforms. Simien will write all 10 episodes and direct the pilot. At this point it is unclear if the series will follow the same set of characters as the movie and no casting decisions have been announced.
Simien is a talented writer/director and if you enjoy smart, nuanced, humorous critique of the intersection of race, law and power, you should see the movie and give the Netflix series a watch as well. The series is set to debut on Netflix in 2017.