Netflix is turning the acclaimed indie movie 'Dear White People' into a comedy series
Production on the series will begin later this year for a 2017 premiere date, Netflix said in a press release on Thursday.
The film's writer and producer, Justin Simien, will also write the 10-episode season, as well as direct the first episode. He will be accompanied on the series by veteran TV producer Devon Shepard ("House of Lies," "Weeds") and "Dear White People" producers Stephanie Allain Bray and Julia Lebedev as executive producers.
The satirical film comments on modern race relations, following four black students at an Ivy League college as racial tension mounts. After being crowd-funded, the film went on to win the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
"During the film's release, I had the pleasure to speak with hundreds of students and faculty across a variety of college campuses dealing with these very issues in real time. I'm so grateful to have this platform - not only to give a voice to those too often unheard in our culture, but to also tell great stories from new points of views," Simien said in a statement.
The series will be produced by Lionsgate TV, whose sister company Roadside Attractions released the original film in 2014.
"From day one, Lionsgate has been remarkably supportive of the vision for the show, and working with Netflix is every bit as harmonious as I'd imagined it would be," Simien said. "Bringing this show to such a vibrant platform is an honor I don't take lightly."