John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, and Craig Rowin – Picture Credits: Jesse Grant/Getty Images & Lucia Tran
Netflix has come out on top in a highly competitive bidding war for AWOL, a new dramedy series from John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s GoldDay Productions, What’s on Netflix can confirm.
It’s an early win for Netflix’s TV comedy slate, landing a project from one of Hollywood’s most in-demand filmmaking duos, and it adds yet another title to an increasingly packed list of upcoming Netflix comedy series.
What is AWOL about?
Story details are being kept firmly under wraps for now, with all we know being that AWOL is a dramedy. That said, a title like AWOL (military shorthand for “absent without leave”) certainly gives us a few ideas.
We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one and will update you as soon as a logline or any casting news emerges.
Who is behind AWOL?
AWOL is written by Craig Rowin, whose credits include The Off Weeks and Apple TV+’s The Big Door Prize. The latter, a gently offbeat small-town dramedy, feels like a good indicator of the tone we might be able to expect here.
Executive producing are John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein through their GoldDay Productions banner.
The pair have been one of the most reliable names in studio comedy for over a decade now, having written Horrible Bosses, co-written Spider-Man: Homecoming, and directed Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. Daley is also well known in front of the camera, having starred as Sam Weir in Freaks and Geeks and as Dr. Lance Sweets in Bones.
Their latest film, Cold War action-comedy Mayday, stars Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh and premiered globally on Apple TV on September 4, 2026.
AWOL isn’t the only project at Netflix with a connection to the duo’s work, either. Netflix is also developing The Forgotten Realms, a live-action Dungeons & Dragons series from Shawn Levy, although that series reportedly has no ties to Honor Among Thieves.
When could AWOL be released on Netflix?
With AWOL only just entering development at Netflix, it’s far too early to pin down a release date. The series still needs to be written, cast, and filmed, so it’s unlikely to feature on our 2027 Netflix release schedule. A 2028 release at the earliest seems most likely.
Are you excited to see what Daley and Goldstein bring to Netflix with AWOL? Let us know in the comments below.