FX has ordered a pilot based on Octavia E. Butler’s profound novel Kindred

FX has ordered a pilot adaption of Octavia E. Butler’s iconic and profound novel Kindred, a highly influential work of science fiction initially published in 1979. According to the official press release, the adaption will be penned by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and executive produced by Jacobs-Jenkins, Courtney Lee-Mitchell, Darren Aronofsky, Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields.

Butler passed in 2006 but her work and legacy continue to remain influential. Her lasting impact cannot be understated. Yet all that said, it seems strange that her works have large gone ignored by Hollywood, so it’s exciting to see a network circling a potential series order for the acclaimed novel.

The FX adaptation of Kindred will follow a young Black woman named Dana who uprooted her life and relocated to Los Angeles.

“But, before she can get settled into her new home, she finds herself being violently pulled back and forth in time to a nineteenth-century plantation with which she and her family are most surprisingly and intimately linked. An interracial romance threads through her past and present, and the clock is ticking as she struggles to confront the secrets she never knew ran through her blood, in this genre-breaking exploration of the ties that bind,” shares the network.

If the plot sounds a little familiar, you might be thinking of the controversial horror film starring Janelle Monáe Antebellum. The two stories have very similar plots and themes, although Antebellum was supposedly not based on Kindred.

When can I watch Kindred on FX?

Since the series is only in the pilot development stage, it’s a long ways away from airing on the network. There is a possibility that the show won’t even make it to the next phase. If FX decides they don’t like the pilot, they might pass on the series altogether. However, if it does get ordered to series, then we can probably anticipate seeing Kindred on the network by late 2022, but that’s a very early estimate with plenty of room for alterations.

The good news is that Butler’s Estate seems very supportive of FX and Jacob-Jenkins involvement with the project.

“The Octavia E. Butler Estate was thrilled and grateful to have placed Kindred with Courtney Lee Mitchell at the outset, who brought it to Branden Jacobs Jenkins (a young writer who shares with Octavia the rare honor of being a MacArthur ‘Genius’ Award recipient) and then to the terrific people at Protozoa. FX could not be a better or more enthusiastic partner, as evidenced by the brilliant creative team they are building, and the legendary slate of shows they have produced.  We can’t wait to see this beloved work take its place among the stars in the FX universe,” the Octavia E. Butler Estate added.

Do you want to see an FX adaption of Octavia E. Butler’s novel Kindred? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!