Jacob Tierney, the creator of the hit gay hockey romance Heated Rivalry, has landed a straight-to-series order at Netflix for a new period drama. The show is titled Alexander and will focus on the relationship between a young Alexander the Great and the philosopher Aristotle.
The streaming service announced the project on March 5, 2026. Tierney will write and direct the series. He is also executive producing alongside his Heated Rivalry partner Brendan Brady. Joining them are Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan from Aggregate Films, the production company behind Netflix hits like Ozark .
What Is the Alexander Series About?
The show is based on Canadian author Annabel Lyon’s acclaimed 2009 novel, The Golden Mean. The book was a winner of the Rogers Writers‘ Trust Fiction Prize and was also nominated for the Giller Prize .
Netflix released an official logline for the series. It describes the story as beginning when the Athenian empire starts to fall. Aristotle, called “the world’s greatest mind,” arrives in Macedonia. His mission is to tutor a young and unpredictable prince named Alexander .
The official synopsis reads: “Amid palace intrigue, forbidden love, brutal war and ruthless ambitions, their unlikely friendship shapes an empire and alters the course of history” .
Tierney shared his excitement about the project in a statement. “I fell in love with Annabel Lyon‘s book The Golden Mean years ago and have been dreaming of telling this story ever since,” he said. “Brendan and I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Aggregate and Netflix to bring this insanely compelling world to life” .
Jinny Howe, Netflix’s head of U.S. and Canada Scripted Series, also praised the project. “Jacob Tierney is one of the most exciting, in-demand creative voices working today,” she stated. “This series reimagines the classic power struggle between mentor and protégé with a raw, modern energy that feels both epic and incredibly intimate” .
Who Is Involved Behind the Scenes?
The creative team brings together notable talent from both sides of the border.
- Jacob Tierney: Writer, Director, and Executive Producer. He is known for creating the Crave/HBO Max sensation Heated Rivalry and for his work on the long-running Canadian comedy Letterkenny .
- Brendan Brady: Executive Producer via Accent Aigu Entertainment, Tierney’s production partner.
- Jason Bateman & Michael Costigan: Executive Producers via Aggregate Films. Bateman’s company has a deal with Netflix following the success of Ozark .
According to a report from Deadline, Tierney had already written two scripts for the series on his own before the deal was made. The project was quickly picked up by Netflix with a straight-to-series order .
What Is The Golden Mean About?
Annabel Lyon’s novel offers a fresh take on a classic story. It focuses on Aristotle in the final years of his life as he takes on the job of tutoring the teenage Alexander. The book explores the meeting of two brilliant minds—one a philosopher, the other a future military genius. It looks at how they shaped each other against a backdrop of political chaos and violence .
Lyon wrote a sequel to the novel in 2012 titled The Sweet Girl, which follows the life of Aristotle’s daughter, Pythias .
When Will the Series Be Released?
Netflix has not yet announced a release date for Alexander.
The project is still in early development. The cast has also not been revealed yet. No actors have been attached to play the young Alexander the Great or Aristotle .
Tierney is currently focused on finishing the second season of Heated Rivalry. That show, based on the books by Rachel Reid, follows the secret romance between hockey players Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams). It was a massive hit for Crave in Canada and HBO Max internationally, averaging 10.6 million viewers per episode in the U.S. alone .
Production for Heated Rivalry Season 2 is scheduled to begin in August 2026. The new episodes are expected to premiere around April 2027.
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What Themes Will Alexander Explore?
Given Tierney’s track record with Heated Rivalry, fans are curious about how he will handle the personal relationships in Alexander’s life. Historical texts, including the works of Plutarch, suggest that Alexander the Great may have been bisexual. His close relationship with his companion Hephaestion is well-documented .
In interviews last year, Tierney discussed his interest in historical fiction. He specifically mentioned the works of British writer Mary Renault. Her novels, including Fire from Heaven and The Persian Boy, portrayed Alexander as sexually fluid. Tierney noted that Renault “worships at the altar of Alexander the Great and Hephaestion,” showing a clear link between classic historical romance and his modern work on Heated Rivalry .
The official logline mentions “forbidden love” as a key element of the palace intrigue, leaving room for the series to explore the full scope of the historical figure’s life.
This new series adds to Netflix’s growing slate of historical dramas and continues the streamer’s partnership with Jason Bateman’s Aggregate Films.
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Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more updates on casting news and production details for Alexander as they become available.
