Sarah Snook to lead HBO’s developing limited series inspired by The Birds

HBO is developing a limited series inspired by The Birds, with Sarah Snook set to star, Variety reported on 27 October. The project brings Alfred Hitchcock’s film and Daphne du Maurier’s novella into a new television story built around a disappearance and deadly bird attacks.

Deadline reported that Universal Global Television took the project to market during the summer and HBO has taken it on for development. The company had worked on the limited series with its predecessor for more than a year before the HBO deal, according to Deadline. A production start and release date have not been announced.

What is HBO’s The Birds series about?

Deadline describes the project as a present-day reimagining with new characters and a murder mystery. The premise shifts the focus to Myra’s investigation and her daughter’s safety while keeping the bird attacks central to the story.

Who is making the Sarah Snook series?

Tom Spezialy wrote the pilot and will executive produce, Variety reported. Snook will also executive produce, alongside David Heyman and Danny Samit for Heyday Television. Deadline reported that Universal Global Television will serve as a co-studio with HBO.

The role brings Snook back to HBO after Succession. Deadline reported that her performance in that series earned three Emmy nominations and a win in 2023. Her involvement in The Birds extends beyond playing Myra: she is also part of the project’s executive producing team.

The new series follows earlier attempts to revisit The Birds that did not come to fruition, according to Deadline. This version has reached HBO’s development slate with a lead actor, a pilot writer and a proposed story, but development does not establish that filming has begun.