Peacock orders Rian Johnson mystery series TV debut; starring Natasha Lyonne

Russian Doll

NBCUniversal streamer Peacock has given a 10-episode straight-to-series order for Poker Face, the first TV series project from Knives Out director Rian Johnson.

Johnson’s T-Street and MRC Television will produce the hour-long mystery series, with Russian Doll star Natasha Lyonne to head the cast.

Johnson will serve as creator, writer and director of the original series. He will also executive produce alongside partner Ram Bergman and T-Street television president Nena Rodrigue. Lyonne will also serve as an executive producer via her Animal Pictures, along with co-executive producers Maya Rudolph and Danielle Renfrew Behrens.

Johnson and Bergman launched T-Street in 2019, with the company currently preparing the follow up film to Knives Out, which Johnson is writing and directing. They are also currently producing Three Body Problem, alongside David Benioff, D.B. Weiss and Alexander Woo, for Netflix.

MRC Television is a division of MRC, which is a minority investor in T-Street, with a first-look deal across film and television. The unit is currently in production on the fourth and final season of Ozark for Netflix, the second season of The Great for Hulu, the limited series The Shrink Next Door for Apple, The Terminal List for Amazon, and will also produce Shining Girls for Apple.

Maya Rudolph and Natasha Lyonne launched Animal Pictures in 2018 with veteran independent producer, Danielle Renfrew Behrens. The company has multiple film and television projects in development, including sci-fi comedy The Hospital and Desert People.

“Rian Johnson’s distinct sensibility and talent for telling edge-of-your-seat mysteries is a massive gift for Peacock, and we can’t wait for audiences to delve into each case,” said Lisa Katz, president of scripted content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Paired with the acting genius of Natasha Lyonne, this series will be entertaining and addictive.”

“I’m very excited to dig into the type of fun, character driven, case-of-the-week mystery goodness I grew up watching,” added Johnson. “It’s my happy place. Having Natasha as a partner in crime is a dream, and we’ve found the perfect home at Peacock.”