AMC Global Media and Netflix, which have an ongoing licensing agreement for AMC shows, are becoming production partners as well.
Netflix has greenlit Bannerman, a spy thriller that it will co-produce with AMC Studios. The show is based on a series of five novels by John R. Maxim about a retired covert operative living in semi-secrecy in suburban Connecticut.
Shane Black and Craig Silverstein co-wrote the first episode, with Silverstein (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, AMC’s Turn: Washington’s Spies) serving as showrunner and Black set to direct the first two episodes. They executive produce with The Walking Dead alum Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten.
The series marks Black’s (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang, The Nice Guys) first foray into TV as a writer and director. (He received a story credit on the pilot episode of Fox’s 2016 Lethal Weapon series, which was based on his screenplay.)
Bannerman centers on Paul Bannerman, “a lethal covert operative who convinces a group of the world’s most deadly assassins to quit the spy game for a chance to lead normal lives in the suburbs of Connecticut,” the show’s logline reads. “Old enemies, bad habits, a paranoid government and an unrelenting ex-cop will make retirement their most difficult mission yet.”
“Bannerman is a smart, high-octane thrill ride of a series, powered by an extraordinary creative team,” said Dan McDermott, chief content officer of AMC Global Media and president of AMC Studios. “This is the perfect premium drama to kick off our first co-production with Netflix, and we are thrilled to continue evolving and expanding our partnership by jointly developing and producing select original series for our respective platforms.”
AMC and Netflix signed a streaming licensing deal in 2024 (and renewed it last year) under which a selection of AMC Global Media series stream on Netflix under an “AMC Collection” heading. Bannerman is the first original series the two companies have produced together.
Bannerman has taken a somewhat winding road to a series order. AMC first announced development on the project in early 2023, with Black, Nicotero and Witten all attached. In April, three-plus years after that announcement, AMC Studios opened a writers room for the show, with Silverstein credited as creator and showrunner and Black, Nicotero and Witten as exec producers. At that time, the company said Bannerman was destined for AMC and AMC+; Netflix joined the party last, leading to the series order.
Silverstein is repped by WME and Hansen Jacobson. Black is repped by WME, Greenlit and attorney Eric Brooks. Nicotero is with UTA, Mosaic and Johnson Shapiro. Witten is repped by UTA and Mosaic.
