Netflix Announces New Alexander the Great Drama From ‘Heated Rivalry’ Creator

Netflix has given a series order to the drama Alexander, which comes from acclaimed Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney and executive producer Jason Bateman.

Filmmaker Jacob Tierney has already garnered great acclaim for his romance drama Heated Rivalry, a series he created, wrote, and directed. Now Tierney has set his next project Alexander at Netflix. Based on the best-selling novel The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon, the historical series follows two legendary figures from Ancient Greece: Alexander the Great and his tutor Aristotle. 

Alexander is written, directed, and executive produced by Tierney. Also involved in the project as executive producers are award-winning actor Jason Batman and Michael Costigan of Aggregate Films. In addition, Heated Rivalry‘s Brendan Brady is also producing. 

The period drama centres on Alexander the Great, son of King Philip II of Macedon and Queen Olympias. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest military masterminds in history.

The official description from Netflix reads:

Based on Annabel Lyon’s novel The Golden Mean, the drama begins as the Athenian empire is crumbling and the world’s greatest mind, Aristotle, arrives in Macedonia to tutor a volatile young prince, Alexander. Amid palace intrigue, forbidden love, brutal war and ruthless ambitions, their unlikely friendship shapes an empire and alters the course of history. 

“I fell in love with Annabel Lyon’s book The Golden Mean years ago and have been dreaming of telling this story ever since,” Tierney said in a statement. “Brendan and I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Aggregate and Netflix to bring this insanely compelling world to life.” 

Jacob Tierney, Connor Storrie, Hudson Williams, and producer Brendan Brady attend the premiere of Heated Rivalry. (Getty)

“Jacob Tierney is one of the most exciting, in-demand creative voices working today, and we are thrilled to work with him on Alexander,” added Jinny Howe, Netflix’s Head of US and Canada Scripted Series. “We were immediately captivated by his vision for adapting Annabel Lyon’s acclaimed novel. This series reimagines the classic power struggle between mentor and protégé with a raw, modern energy that feels both epic and incredibly intimate. This high-stakes drama is poised to deeply resonate with our global audience, and we look forward to bringing it to life with the deftly talented Jason Bateman and the Aggregate Films team.”

What is The Golden Mean, the novel on which the series is based?

The debut novel by Annabel Lyon, The Golden Mean was first published back in 2010. The novel received great praise from critics, winning the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. 

The full synopsis of the novel is:

“Macedon. 367 BC. Philip II is bringing war to Persia. Forged in the warrior culture of Macedonia, the time has come for his young son Alexander to take up his inheritance of blood and obedience to the sword. It is a training that has made the boy sadistic; fiercely brilliant, but unstable. A dangerous trait in a king fated to rule the vastest empire of the ancient world.”

As for the TV series, no casting has been announced. Bateman is noted as an executive producer rather than a star. Nor has any release date been set. We’ll keep you posted.