Over the past half-decade, Joe Barton has quietly become one of the most buzzworthy scriptwriters of the moment. That’s no small feat for how saturated the television landscape is currently. But give the criminally underseen “Giri/Haji” a watch on Netflix, and you’ll understand why HBO Max had him attached to their “Gotham PD” show (before it became a series about Arkham Asylum). Barton is the real deal, and don’t be surprised if he’s a big name in TV by the end of this decade.
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That means “The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself,” Barton’s upcoming YA fantasy series, should grab Netflix subscribers’ attention. Based on Sally Green’s “Half Bad” YA-novel trilogy, the series follows the illegitimate teenage son of a dangerous witch who must overcome his father’s terrible legacy and choose between white and black magic.
Here’s the show’s official synopsis, courtesy of Netflix:
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Sixteen-year-old Nathan is the illegitimate son of the world’s most dangerous witch. Fearing he will follow in his father’s footsteps, Nathan is closely monitored throughout his childhood. As the boundaries between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ fray, Nathan – along with mischievous Annalise and charismatic Gabriel – will soon discover who he truly is.
“The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself” stars Jay Lycurgo, Nadia Parkes, Emilien Vekemans, and Róisín Murphy in the lead roles. The show also stars Isobel Jesper Jones, Karen Connell, Paul Ready, David Gyasi, and Kerry Fox. Fehinto Balogun, Misia Butler, and Liz White round out the main cast.
While Barton serves as showrunner and writer for the new series, Colm McCarthy, Debs Paterson, and Rachna Suri cover directorial duties. In addition, Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth of the British pop group Let’s Eat Grandma provide music for the series.
Don’t be surprised if “The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself” is Joe Barton’s breakout. And if it’s not this series, Barton also has two films on the way: Babak Anvari’s untitled “Cloverfield” sequel for Paramount and “Our Man From Jersey” for Netflix. But check out Barton’s new series when it hits Netflix on October 28. Watch a trailer for the show below.