‘Heated Rivalry’ creator Jacob Tierney sets new Alexander the Great series at Netflix

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Jacob Tierney poses backstage at ‘Hadestown’ on Broadway at The Walter Kerr Theatre on March 1, 2026, in New York City. (Bruce Glikas/WireImage via Getty Images)

A brand-new show is about to heat up at Netflix.

Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney is set to write, direct and executive produce a new series about Alexander the Great for the streamer.

The dramatic series, which is called Alexander, has received a straight-to-series order. It will be a period piece that explores the little-known story of Alexander the Great and his tutor, Aristotle, during the military commander’s relentless quest for dominance.

This new show will be based on Annabel Lyon’s novel The Golden Mean. It starts “as the Athenian empire is crumbling and the world’s greatest mind, Aristotle, arrives in Macedonia to tutor a volatile young prince, Alexander,” according to a description from Netflix. “Amid palace intrigue, forbidden love, brutal war and ruthless ambitions, their unlikely friendship shapes an empire and alters the course of history.”

Jason Bateman will executive produce the show along with Michael Costigan for Aggregate Films. Heated Rivalry‘s Brendan Brady will also executive produce.

Tierney says he fell in love with Lyon’s book years ago, and he’s “been dreaming of telling this story ever since.”

“Brendan and I couldn’t be more excited to be partnering with Aggregate and Netflix to bring this insanely compelling world to life,” Tierney continued.

Jinny Howe, Netflix’s head of U.S. and Canada scripted series, said, “Jacob Tierney is one of the most exciting, in-demand creative voices working today, and we are thrilled to work with him on Alexander.”

Howe continued, “We were immediately captivated by his vision for adapting Annabel Lyon’s acclaimed novel. This series reimagines the classic power struggle between mentor and protégé with a raw, modern energy that feels both epic and incredibly intimate.”