ATX TV Festival and HBO Expand Partnership to Include ‘I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,’ ‘I May Destroy You’ (EXCLUSIVE)
ATX Television Festival has added the HBO series “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” “I May Destroy You” and “Room 104” to its first-ever virtual festival programming lineup, Variety has learned exclusively.
In addition, “A Black Lady Sketch Show” creator and showrunner Robin Thede will be joining the festival as part of the “Showrunners: State of the Union” on June 7, and ATX and HBO have announced the panelists for the previously-announced “Perry Mason” panel.
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“We can still remember getting HBO’s support for the first ever physical festival in 2012; we may have cried,” said Caitlin McFarland, co-founder, ATX Television Festival. “We were told then that they wanted to say in Year 10 that they were there from the beginning. We aren’t quite to our 10th Season, but as we completely pivot to virtual, HBO has stayed by our side. We’ll miss seeing them at the Paramount Theater on Opening Night, but we’re excited to have them heavily represented in ‘ATX TV…from the Couch!’ We were blown away — but not surprised — by their support of us in every way including their phenomenal programming.”
Added Casey Bloys, president, HBO programming: “ATX has always been a unique destination, devoted to the celebration of television. Whether virtually or in Austin, we are delighted to continue our relationship.”
“I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” which is based on Michelle McNamara’s 2018 book of the same name, will give “ATX TV…from the Couch” attendees an early first look at the six-part docuseries premiering June 28. Filmmakers Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Myles Kane, and Josh Koury will participate in a conversation moderated by Variety about constructing the series through a combination of McNamara’s own words, extensive archival footage and police files, as well as exclusive new interviews with detectives, survivors and family members of the Golden State Killer.
Creator, executive producer and actor Michaela Coel will take viewers inside her new series “I May Destroy You,” which explores sexual consent in contemporary life and premieres June 7. Additionally, the creative team behind the anthological “Room 104” will get together ahead of its final season premiere on July 24. For this, co-creator/executive producer/writer/director/actor and songwriter/performer Mark Duplass will be joined by executive producer/director Sydney Fleischmann, executive producer/writer/director Mel Eslyn, co-executive producer/composer/writer/director Julian Wass, director Karan Soni and director Natalie Morales.
The previously-announced marquee conversation for “Perry Mason” will serve as the programming for opening night of the festival, taking place June 5 at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. PT. Confirmed to attend are creators and executive producers Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald, executive producer Susan Downey, executive producer and director Tim Van Patten, producer and actor Matthew Rhys and cast members Tatiana Maslany, John Lithgow, Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk and Shea Whigham.
Other previously announced programming includes reunions of “Justified” and “Scrubs,” as well as panels from the casts and creatives behind “Nancy Drew” and “New Amsterdam.”
“ATX TV…from the Couch” will take place June 5-7 with panels streaming for free on ATX’s YouTube page.
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