On Air Now
The Capital Weekender with Meg McHugh 10pm - 1am
‘I May Destroy You’ Creator Michaela Coel Reveals She Turned Down $1m Netflix Deal
7 July 2020, 13:43
‘I May Destroy You’ creator Michaela Coel has revealed she turned down a $1m deal with Netflix.
Michaela Coel has revealed she turned down a $1m deal from Netflix for her acclaimed BBC and HBO series, I May Destroy You.
The actress, writer and director sat down with Vulture to discuss the success of the show, which she said she originally pitched to the streaming giant in 2017.
Zac Efron Is Launching A Netflix Series Called Down To Earth: What's It About?
However, Michaela made the decision to turn them down after being told 'nobody does that' when she asked to have 5 percent of the show's rights.
She said: "There was just silence on the phone and she said, 'It’s not how we do things here. Nobody does that, it’s not a big deal.'
“I said, 'If it’s not a big deal, then I’d really like to have 5 percent of my rights.'"
She then decided to take the show to BBC who replied with an email the very next day saying she could have everything she wanted, including the rights to the work and full creative control.
Feeling stunned at what was being offered, she took a day to think it over before replying.
“I’d been so untrustworthy of the industry that I looked at the email and I thought, I need a day. I wasn’t happy," she said.
She of course went on to accept the offer and the rest is history!
The show has been praised online for its exploration of issues such as rape, modern relationships and sexuality.
Even Adele is a fan! The singer recently took to Instagram to praise it and admitted she’s ‘never felt so many emotions at once’.
Her post read: “‘I May Destroy You’ is the best thing I’ve seen on British TV for yeaaaarssss!! Go watch it on iplayer right now.
“It’s wholesome, uncomfortable, hilarious but terribly sad and then awkward...and then it makes you cough a bit for no reason and also makes you go put the kettle on, for no reason.
“You might pretend you need a pee and then you get a bit itchy, then it makes you ask your girls things you haven’t before. And then makes you want to run out in the street and laugh so hard like mad til you cry for absolute hours!
“I’ve never felt so many emotions at once! Absolutely fantastic. Michaela Coel bloody SMASHED it.”
> Have You Got A Smart Speaker? Tell It To "Play Capital"!
