Susanna Fogel Chosen to Write and Direct a New Romantic Comedy for Netflix

Netflix Announces New Romantic Comedy ‘Primal’ from Susanna Fogel

Netflix is set to develop a new romantic comedy titled Primal, written and directed by Susanna Fogel, known for her work on Ponies. Fogel will also produce the film alongside Melissa Wells under their production company, Big Adventure.

Primal centers on Jane, a teenager who spends most of her life online. Her world changes dramatically when she travels to a remote island and meets Teddy, the sole survivor of a plane crash who lives completely off the grid. As their opposing lifestyles draw them together, their budding romance faces challenges when Teddy returns to the modern world with Jane.

This announcement comes as Fogel serves as an executive producer on Netflix’s upcoming remake of Little House on the Prairie.

Fogel, a director, screenwriter, and novelist from Providence, Rhode Island, boasts a notable filmography. Her previous projects include Booksmart, which earned her nominations from BAFTA and WGA, Winner, starring Emilia Jones and Zach Galifianakis, which had its premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and Cat Person, based on the viral New Yorker short story by Kristen Roupenian, which debuted at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. She also directed Lionsgate’s The Spy Who Dumped Me.

Most recently, Fogel co-created, wrote, directed, and executive produced the acclaimed series Ponies, a 1970s-set spy thriller for Peacock featuring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson, which premiered in January. Her earlier directing work includes the pilot episode of HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant, for which she won a DGA Award and received an Emmy nomination, as well as directing the pilots of Amazon’s The Wilds and Disney+’s WWII limited series A Small Light, which won the 2023 Gotham Award for Best Drama Series.

Fogel and her production company, Big Adventure, are represented by UTA, while she is also represented by Untitled.