Netflix Cancels Horizon Zero Dawn Series Amid Allegations Against Showrunner
Netflix’s plans to produce a Horizon Zero Dawn series have been halted due to allegations of inappropriate behavior against its showrunner Steve Blackman, according to a report by Rolling Stone. The accusations of “bullying, manipulative, and retaliatory behavior” were detailed by 12 former colleagues of Blackman, who previously worked as the showrunner for The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. Blackman has denied these claims, calling them “entirely untrue”.
After the publication of the report, Netflix and PlayStation were contacted by Eurogamer for comments but did not respond to the inquiries.
Rolling Stone senior reporter Cheyenne Roundtree, who broke the original story, revealed that Netflix has cut ties with Blackman for his two upcoming projects – Horizon and an original series named Orbital.
Blackman’s past work includes writing for TV series like Bones, Altered Carbon, and Fargo.
Sony had announced plans for a Horizon Zero Dawn TV series back in 2022, as part of a larger initiative to adapt its major PlayStation franchises for television. Alongside the successful The Last of Us series on HBO, Sony also has projects in development such as a Ghost of Tsushima movie, a God of War Amazon Prime series, a Twisted Metal TV show, and a Gran Turismo movie.
Eurogamer has reached out to Netflix and PlayStation for clarification on the status of the Horizon TV series – whether it has been canceled entirely or will proceed without Blackman’s involvement.