Jesse Eisenberg Is Developing an A24 Series Set in 2002

Jesse Eisenberg is moving into television with an untitled series for A24 built around a young woman confronting a rapidly changing cultural landscape. The actor and filmmaker said the story follows an 18-year-old girl in the fall of 2002 and examines the early shape of the culture wars that still influence public life.

Eisenberg will write and direct

The project is based on a short story by Eisenberg. He is expected to write, direct and executive produce the series, while veteran media executive Peter Rice will also serve as an executive producer through his A24 deal. The package is expected to be presented to potential buyers in the coming weeks, meaning a network or streaming home has not yet been announced.

Early descriptions center on a young woman whose ideas and relationships begin to test what she believes. That premise gives Eisenberg room to approach a politically charged period through one character’s experience rather than through a broad historical account. He has also stressed that the series is not intended to feel overly political, suggesting the tone may retain the humor and emotional awkwardness associated with his other work.

The news arrived during a busy film weekend

Eisenberg revealed details of the show while attending the BFI London Film Festival, where his latest feature, The Debut, closed the event. The musical comedy stars Julianne Moore as a neglected housewife who joins a community theater production directed by a character played by Paul Giamatti. The film previously premiered at Telluride and is scheduled for a U.S. theatrical release on December 11.

The Debut continues Eisenberg’s development as a writer-director after When You Finish Saving the World and A Real Pain. The television project would expand that work into a longer narrative format while keeping him behind the camera as well as on the page.

For now, the series remains at the packaging stage. Its premise, creative team and period setting are taking shape, but the buyer, cast, episode count and production schedule have not been disclosed.