A comedy series bringing together Bad Sisters star Eve Hewson and The Last of Us alum Murray Bartlett, along with other notable names, has been axed at the pilot stage.
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Downforce would have starred Hewson as Victoria, the daughter of F1 racing team owner Sir Trevor (Bartlett), who is abruptly thrown back into the family business after several years in the tough world of investment banking.
The story would have followed their contentious relationship as they are forced to find ways of working together, with the team's reputation and lasting legacy on the line.
Bartlett has had a busy few years, reaching new heights of fame for his unhinged turn in The White Lotus season 1, before delivering more acclaimed work in The Last of Us and Welcome to Chippendales.
Meanwhile, acclaimed Apple TV+ comedy-drama Bad Sisters has catapulted Hewson to international recognition, leading to another high-profile project in Nicole Kidman's Netflix miniseries The Perfect Couple.
Downforce had also recruited Harry Delano (Freud’s Last Session), Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9), Amar Chadha-Patel (The Decameron) and Arturo Del Puerto (For All Mankind) for its supporting cast.
Behind the camera, the series was written by Alec Berg (Barry) and Adam Countee (Severance), while real-life F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo served as an executive producer on the project.
Murray Bartlett as Frank in The Last of Us. Liane Hentscher/HBO
Deadline reported that a pilot for Downforce had been ordered back in September 2024. US streaming service Hulu was developing the series, meaning it would likely have gone to Disney Plus in the UK if it went to a full series.
In an interview with Radio Times last year, Hewson said that she wasn't daunted by playing a leading role opposite the likes of Hollywood stars Kidman and Liev Schreiber in mystery drama The Perfect Couple.
She explained: "That’s what I'm here to do. I really liked the idea of playing an outsider, coming into the family and seeing these crazy people through her eyes.
"My character, Amelia, is quite honest, but the rest of the cast had such a good time dressing up and being awful."
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
