Ava DuVernay & ‘Hellion’ Director Kat Candler’s Texas Oil Union Drama In Development At TNT

Dominic Patten

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One of the busiest people in Hollywood just got a little bit busier with a Queen Sugar reunion of sorts. Ava DuVernay and her ARRAY Filmworks have re-teamed with Kat Candler to develop a one-hour drama series for TNT centered on the Texas oil industry.

The latest project out of the sprawling nine-figure overall deal DuVernay inked with Warner Bros Television Group almost a year ago (as Deadline exclusively reported), the untitled series focuses on the fatal aftermath of a Lone Star state refinery accident and one woman’s move to seek justice through an unprecedented labor action.

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If you are thinking Norma Rae 2020 for the Warner Horizon Scripted Television project, I’d say you nailed it. DuVernay will executive produce the yet to be named drama with Candler who will write the series.

First coming across most people’s radar in 2014 when her feature Hellion starring Aaron Paul and Juliette Lewis played in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and soaked up a slew of awards afterward, Candler joined OWN’s Queen Sugar in the first season as a part of the all-female directing team. Serving as producing director for the second season of rural Louisiana family drama, Candler was named showrunner for the third season of Queen Sugar in late 2017.

Often described by DuVernay as one of her favorite people, Candler migrated from Texas to Los Angeles a few years back and has worked on 13 Reasons Why, Dirty John and Sorry For Your Loss, among other projects. She is repped by ICM Partners, manager Cullen Conly and attorneys Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.

Coming off a big Emmy win for Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Jharrel Jerome for his performance in Netflix’s When They See Us, DuVernay has a growing dance card with a pilot order at the upcoming HBO Max for the adaptation of comic series DMZ as well as the Cherish the Day anthology, which is set at OWN.

The Selma and 13th director is repped by CAA and attorneys Nina Shaw and Gordon Bobb.

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