Drew Goddard to Executive Produce Pagans, Netflix’s Next Supernatural Obsession

Netflix already won the rights to a new supernatural drama called 'Pagans' in a red-hot bidding war. Now we know who is actually making it for them: Drew Goddard's company, Goddard Textiles, beat out other producers and is boarding as the lead production outfit. If you felt a tremor in industry-land, that was this deal locking in.

So what is 'Pagans'?

The show follows a widower trying to raise two kids on his own. His son is pretty standard-issue. His daughter, Alice, is not. What starts as a tense, messy father-daughter dynamic twists into something darker and more unsettling. The pitch promises a blend of emotion, scares, and uncomfortable laughs as it digs into the kinds of thoughts parents have but never say out loud. Translation: this could get creepy in a very human way.

"Equal parts emotional, horrifying and humorous."

How the deal came together

The project comes from writer Joshua Zetumer, who is also set as executive producer and showrunner. Netflix gave it a straight-to-series order after an unusually intense sales process. Here is the very industry-specific part: Zetumer's reps at UTA and Entertainment 360 sent the script to buyers through a special app that let them read it for only 24 hours, with no forwarding or copying. That scarcity move worked. Somewhere between 15 and 18 studios, platforms, and producers jumped in. Multiple seven-figure offers landed almost immediately, and by Emmy weekend the script was the thing people were whispering about at parties. The field got narrowed fast, and Netflix ultimately took it down. The series will be developed through Netflix's studio group led by Nne Ebong, who reports to Jinny Howe, head of U.S.-Canada scripted series.

Who is making it

Goddard Textiles won the separate competition to produce the show for Netflix. Drew Goddard and his producing partner Sarah Esberg will executive produce, with Andrea Massaro on board as co-executive producer.

Why Goddard makes sense here

Goddard has a deep track record mixing genre thrills with character and tone swings, which is exactly the tightrope 'Pagans' wants to walk. On TV he has credits on 'Lost', 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel', 'Alias', 'Daredevil', and 'The Good Place'. On the film side, he has been involved with 'The Martian', 'World War Z', 'The Cabin in the Woods', and 'Cloverfield'. That toolbox likely helped tip the scales in Goddard Textiles' favor.

Quick background on Joshua Zetumer

Zetumer first popped up for me when he did uncredited work on the Bond movie 'Quantum of Solace'. Since then he wrote the 'RoboCop' remake and 'Patriots Day', penned a 'Dune' draft that did not get used, took a swing at a Jason Bourne sequel script, and moved several spec scripts around town that scored heat even if they did not shoot. He also created the Hulu mini-series 'Say Nothing'. With 'Pagans', he is writing, executive producing, and running the show.

Goddard's very busy calendar

This 'Pagans' deal sits outside Goddard's first-look at 20th Television. Over there, his company has the drama 'High Potential' (which he created, based on a French and Belgian format) and the upcoming Hulu series 'Phony'. On the film side, he wrote and executive produced 'Project Hail Mary', which Amazon MGM and Sony are releasing in theaters in March. And he is set to write, direct, and produce a new entry in 'The Matrix' franchise for Warner Bros. Not exactly a light load.

The essentials, at a glance

• Series: 'Pagans' (supernatural drama), straight-to-series at Netflix
• Creator-showrunner: Joshua Zetumer ('Say Nothing', 'RoboCop', 'Patriots Day')
• Producers: Goddard Textiles; executive producers Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg; co-executive producer Andrea Massaro
• Story setup: Widower father, two kids; daughter Alice is the wildcard; father-daughter tension turns sinister, blending emotion, horror, and dark humor
• How it sold: Script sent via a 24-hour, no-forwarding app; 15-18 bidders; multiple seven-figure offers; Netflix won
• Netflix studio group: Developed by Nne Ebong, who reports to Jinny Howe (head of U.S.-Canada scripted series)
• Why Goddard: Extensive genre experience across TV and features
• Goddard side projects: 'High Potential' at 20th Television, Hulu's 'Phony', 'Project Hail Mary' in theaters this March (Amazon MGM/Sony), and a new 'Matrix' film for Warner Bros

No premiere date yet, but the ingredients here are strong: a buzzy script, a streamer that likes its genre with an edge, and a producing team that knows exactly how to make this kind of weird feel grounded. If the show sticks the landing, parents may be watching this one from behind their fingers.