‘Kelvin’s Book’: Michael Haneke to Create His First TV Series, a High-Concept Drama Set in a Near-Future Dystopia

No longer content to confine his brand of feel-bad nihilism to movie theaters, Michael Haneke is working on his first TV series. “Kelvin’s Book” will consist of 10 episodes and is described as a high-concept venture by FremantleMedia’s UFA Fiction, which is developing the series with everyone’s favorite Austrian auteur.

The series is “set in a dystopian world and will tell the adventurous story of a group of young people in a not too distant future. During a flight, they are forced to make an emergency landing outside of their home and are confronted with the actual face of their home country for the first time.” As for his motivations, Haneke said simply, “After ten TV-movies and twelve films, I wanted to tell a longer story for once.”

Nico Hoffman, CEO of UFA, said in a statement that “no contemporary director has moved and inspired me more than Michael Haneke. Kelvin’s Book is an extraordinarily rich, gripping and ambitious story. With contemporary themes and a reflection of the digital age that we live in, there’s no better time for this project. We’re privileged to be working with the esteemed Michael Haneke to bring his creative and unique vision to international audiences.”