Status of "The Nix"

This week marks two years since it was announced Meryl would team with J.J. Abrams to produce a limited TV series adaptation of Nathan Hill's novel The Nix. I've offered thoughts on the project's production over many months, but nothing really since March of this year. The last real info I can remember is from January when Hill offered that the series was probably set at nine episodes, at which time there remained every indication that Meryl was still involved.

Fast forward six months and there's not been a single blurb about production. Granted, compared to this spring, Meryl actually has a pretty hefty list of projects on her calendar. While none will likely take up a ton of her time (Little Women and The Laundromat are likely both supporting roles, possibly even rather small), there's kind of a lot going on for her in the upcoming months. Both Women and Laundromat film this fall, Mary Poppins Returns comes out in December and Big Little Lies will likely see its return around February. All this comes off the heels of a strong box-office performance for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again this summer.   

That said, her 2019 schedule, to our knowledge, is barren of roles. Abrams, who is currently busy directing the latest Star Wars film, likely won't be available for directing The Nix any time soon, as his film is supposed to shoot through early 2019 and not be released until next December. I imagine he'll be too busy with the editing process to lend a hand to the TV series next spring.

But next spring still feels like a feasible timeline were The Nix to come to fruition. And my goodness, with the story's eerie parallels to the current U.S. president, it seems like a project ripe with opportunity for success. As I've mentioned before, it's hard to tell exactly how large Meryl's part may actually be, as in the book, her character (at least the age Meryl would play her), isn't really in it all that much. That isn't to say that they couldn't have beefed it up a bit, as we know Hill was involved in making some changes to the story for how it'll play out on television.

I'll predict that if the series does eventually shoot, it'll be next spring/summer, and run (assuming they can get a freakin' network to bite) in the spring of 2020. It's anyone's guess where the country will be politically by that point. But if The Nix were to end up being a critical and viewer juggernaut, imagine its timely presence at the 2020 Emmys in September, just six weeks shy of the next presidential election.