Netflix has given a 10-episode straight-to-series order to hourlong sci-fi, family drama, Raising Dion, based on commercial and music video director Dennis Liu’s short film about an African-American single mother who discovers her young son has multiple, constantly changing abilities. The project comes from Liu, Creed star Michael B. Jordan, who will have a supporting role, veteran showrunner Carol Barbee (UnReal, Judging Amy), writer-producer Michael Green (American Gods, Logan) and Charles D. King’s MACRO (Fences).
Barbee wrote the adaptation of the Liu-directed Raising Dion short film (you can watch it below), which accompanied the comic book of the same name Liu wrote with illustrations by Jason Piperberg. She will serve as showrunner on the series and will executive produce alongside Liu, who will direct; Jordan, through his Outlier Society Productions; MACRO’s King, Kim Roth and Poppy Hanks; Kenny Goodman; and Green.
Raising Dion, a Netflix production, follows the story of a woman named Nicole Reese, who raises her son Dion after the death of her husband Mark (Jordan). The normal dramas of raising a son as a single mom are amplified when Dion starts to manifest several magical, superhero-like abilities. Nicole must now keep her son’s gifts secret with the help of Mark’s best friend Pat, and protect Dion from antagonists out to exploit him while figuring out the origin of his abilities.
