VOD News

Netflix cancels Girlboss

David Farnor | On 25, Jun 2017

Netflix has given Girlboss the chop after one season.

The show is based on the New York Times best-selling book #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso, founder of the fashion brand Nasty Gal. The series centres on Amoruso (Britt Robertson), who began selling vintage clothes on eBay and, by the age of 27, had built the multi-million dollar fashion empire, Nasty Gal.

Pitch Perfect writer Kay Cannon was EP and showrunner on the project, which premiered in April. The series, though, didn’t enjoy the same level of acclaim as the music comedy, as the boundary between the success depicted in the show and the reality of Amoruso’s fashion brand appeared to conflict each other, following a filing for bankruptcy in 2016.

“The result is easy to watch, a 13-episode binge that often hits your funny bone but stays stubbornly, fascinatingly tone-deaf, not necessarily through any fault of its own; there’s potential for an interesting second season of this achingly cool biopic, but while we already know where things are headed, Season 1 never does, Variety reported the cancellation this weekend, as Amoruso took to Instagram to announce the news.

“So that Netflix series about my life got canceled,” she posted. “While I’m proud of the work we did, I’m looking forward to controlling my narrative from here on out. It was a good show, and I was privileged to work with incredible talent, but living my life as a caricature was hard even if only for two months. Yes, I can be difficult. No, I’m not a dick. No, someone named Shane never cheated on me. It will be nice to someday tell the story of what’s happened in the last few years. Ppl read the headline, not the correction, I’ve learned.”

The decision to axe the project follows several high-profile cancellations by the streaming service, which recently chose not to renew Sense8 or The Get Down.

Girlboss trailer brings the sass

4th April

“Go ahead. Underestimate me.” Girlboss arrives on Netflix this month – and it’s bringing a whole heap of sass with it.

From the writer of Pitch Perfect (Kay Cannon), the show is based on the New York Times best-selling book #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso, founder of the fashion brand Nasty Gal. The series centres on Amoruso (Britt Robertson), who began selling vintage clothes on eBay and, by the age of 27, had built the multi-million dollar fashion empire, Nasty Gal.

Cannon serves as showrunner, cretor and exec producer of the show, alongside EPs Charlize Theron (Monster, Young Adult), Laverne McKinnon and Beth Kono of Denver & Delilah, Christian Ditter (How to Be Single) and Sophia Amoruso.

All 13 episodes premiere on Netflix on Friday 21st April. Here’s the trailer:

Netflix’s Girlboss overcomes sexism to premiere this April

10th February 2017

Netflix’s new original series Girlboss will premiere this April, the streaming giant has announced – but it faced a battle against sexism to get here.

Inspired by the NY Times best-selling book #Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso, founder of the fashion brand Nasty Gal, the 13-episode comedy follows Sophia, a rebellious, broke anarchist who refuses to grow up. She stumbles upon her passion of selling vintage clothes online and becomes an unlikely businesswoman. As she builds her retail fashion empire, she realises the value and the difficulty of being the boss of her own life.

The series is created by and executive produced by Kay Cannon (Pitch Perfect 2), who also serves as showrunner. Charlize Theron (Monster, Young Adult) and Laverne McKinnon, of Denver & Delilah, Christian Ditter (How to Be Single) and Sophia Amoruso will also serve as executive producers.

Despite the names, audience and best-selling source, though, the show had an uphill struggle to get made. Speaking at a Netflix panel for the press in New York, Cannon revealed that she tried to sell the project to broadcast networks, but there “wasn’t a consideration for the young female demographic”.

“When we did pitch it to the place that we shall not name, they said: ‘You can’t call it Girlboss, and you need to make it more for men,'” she added.

Netflix, however, backed the idea of having a female lead as complex as a male lead.

“We pitched the show elsewhere and the feedback was absolutely shocking,: Theron said. “I had a real sense of if we didn’t find the right home for this project it would become nothing. Audiences are connecting with what women are, in all our complexities. The days of living in the Madonna/Whore complex? Gone.”

“We’re creating a show in which the lead is maybe unlikeable,” Cannon continued.

Theron added: “Something really grabbed me about it. I’ve built a whole career playing flawed and fucked up characters.”

You can watch the full panel here:

Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris joins Girlboss

9th July 2016

Dean Norris, everyone’s favourite supporting character from Breaking Bad, is heading back to Netflix with a recurring role in the streaming service’s Girlboos.

The series, adapted from Sophia Amoruso’s autobiography by Pitch Perfect writer Kay Cannon, follows Sophia, an anarchist who refuses to grow up and ultimately becomes the unlikely owner of a fashion empire. Norris will play Jay, her father, joining a cast that includes Britt Robertson (Sophia), Ellie Reed (Sophia’s best friend, Annie), Alphonso McAuley (Annie’s boyfriend, Dax) and Johnny Simmons.

The 13-episode Netflix original will premiere in 2017.

Ellie Reed to co-star in Netflix’s Girlboss

29th June 2016

Ellie Reed will co-star in Netflix’s Girlboss opposite Britt Robertson.

The streaming giant’s original series, based on Sophia Amoruso’s autobiography, has been building its cast since the production was first announced. Reed will now join Robertson as Sophia’s best friend, Annie, who Deadline describes as “a bit of a wild woman and the life of any party”.

Reed has recently been seen in Empire, 2 Broke Girls and Chicago P.D..

Johnny Simmons joins Netflix’s Girlboss

24th June 2016

Netflix’s Girlboss has found its male lead: Johnny Simmons.

The series, which is inspired by Sophia Amoruso’s autobiography, will star Simmons opposite Britt Robertson (playing Sophia), reports Deadline. Simmons will play Shane, a drummer and tour manager for indie bands who has a crush on Sophia.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World fans will recognise Simons as Young Neil, while Whiplash fans will be curious to learn that he played the part of Andrew Neiman in Damien Chazelle’s original short. More recently, he has appeared in a number of films on the festival circuit, including Transpecos, Robert Schwartzman’s Dreamland and Noah Buschel’s The Phenom.

Alphonso McAuley joins Girlboss cast

16th June 2016

Alphonso McAuley has joined the cast of Netflix’s Girlboss.

The comedy series stars Britt Robertson and is based on Sophia Amoruso’s autobiography, which charts the rise of Sophia’s online fashion empire.

Now, Robertson has a co-star: McAuley will play Dax, a “handsome and upbeat” bartender, who is dating her best friend, Annie.

McAuley is known for his roles in The Middle in Walk of Shame and will soon be seen in the action comedy Maximum Impact alongside Tom Arnold, Eric Roberts and Danny Trejo. In the meantime, you can find him regularly posting comedy skits on Vine. Here’s a taste of him in action:

Girlboss: Britt Robertson to star in Netflix series

11th June 2016

Britt Robertson will star in Netflix’s original series, Girlboss.

Robertson joins the project after a year in which she’s had multiple high-profile cinema releases, from Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland and Nicholas Sparks adaptation The Longest Ride to – coming soon to US cinemas – The Space Between Us with Asa Butterfield and Gary Oldman and Mr. Church with Eddie Murphy.

Ditter will direct the series, with all episodes premiering on Netflix globally in 2017.