Sharon Horgan Discusses HBO's Future Amid Paramount Acquisition at KVIFF

Sharon Horgan shared her insights on HBO during the KVIFF Industry Days program on Wednesday in the Czech Republic. The discussion followed a keynote by David Chase, creator of The Sopranos, at the 60th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF). Horgan expressed her hopes for the network's future in light of the recent acquisition of its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, by Paramount Skydance.

Horgan’s Concerns About HBO’s Direction

During the event, Horgan remarked, “Who knows? I’m hopeful that nothing changes with HBO, because it would be kind of crazy. It’s such an iconic brand. It is the ultimate premium streamer. I don’t know why you would want to interfere with that.”

Her sentiments were echoed by director and cinematographer Andrij Parekh, known for his work on House of the Dragon and Succession. Parekh stated, “I just hope that they have the wisdom to leave it alone.” The duo participated in a session titled “The Cinematic Series: Storytelling in the Age of Streaming,” moderated by Diana Lodderhose from Deadline.

Upcoming Projects: HBO’s Youth and More

Horgan is currently focused on her upcoming HBO series, Youth, which is set to debut in September. She described the show as having elements of autobiography, stating, “It’s a little more similar to Pulling and Catastrophe, and it’s about being a woman of a certain age — that’s inspired by me.”

The series explores the challenges faced by the “sandwich generation,” where individuals care for both aging parents and children who refuse to leave home. Horgan emphasized the importance of self-care amidst these responsibilities.

Future Prospects for Bad Sisters

When asked if her Apple TV series Bad Sisters could return for a third season, Horgan did not rule it out, saying, “Maybe in the future, at some point — I’m always having ideas for stories. It’s just that at the moment the focus is the HBO show.”

Parekh also shared his upcoming projects, mentioning a Netflix series titled The Retrievals, which is shooting this fall. He explained, “It’s actually shockingly uncommercial, but it’s a true story of a nurse at a Yale hospital that was replacing fentanyl in women’s IVF injections with saline, so the women went through an extraordinary amount of pain.”

The show, adapted from the Susan Burton podcast, features Parekh as the director of photography and director for two episodes.