Netflix & AMC Studios Forge Co-Production Agreement With Shane Black’s ‘Bannerman’ As First Series

Netflix is now in the co-production business. The streamer has made a deal with AMC Studios to jointly develop and produce original series, believed to be the first of its kind for the global platform. The first greenlight to come out of the arrangement is drama Bannerman, from Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) and Craig Silverstein (Turn: Washington Spies), which is based on the popular spy novels by John R. Maxim.

In his first TV series, filmmaker Black co-wrote the first episode and will executive produce and direct the first two episodes. Silverstein, who will retain his executive producer credit on Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians, will showrun, write and executive produce. Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten will also executive produce.

The co-production agreement is believed to have been made a few months ago, with Netflix and AMC Studios putting together a development slate and Bannerman ultimately identified as the first series.

It opens a new avenue for Netflix to collaborate with traditional studios, something the streamer first tried with a co-licensing model introduced almost a decade ago by now-Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria.

The deal also expands AMC’s longtime relationship with Netflix that dates back to the network’s Breaking Bad becoming Netflix’s first hit, and provides a lifeline for a largely linear brand as companies like AMC have to think outside the box if they want to survive in the streaming era.

Most recently, Netflix and AMC earlier this month announced a big $500 million licensing deal for the entire The Walking Dead universe. Additionally, Netflix just landed for development AMC Studios’ drama The Headlands House starring Colman Domingo.

Likely helping to facilitate the new co-production partnership is the fact that Netflix’s series team includes former AMC scripted veterans Emma Miller and Carrie Gillogly who made the move three years ago.

Co-produced by AMC Studios and Netflix, with AMC Studios as lead studio, Bannerman will premiere on AMC in the U.S. and Canada and be available on Netflix in the U.S. and Canada 90 days after the season finale airs on AMC. Netflix and AMC will jointly debut each episode in Australia, New Zealand and Spain; Netflix will carry the show exclusively everywhere else in the world.

The series has a long history going back six years.

AMC Studios announced in January 2023 that it had acquired rights to the Bannerman books to develop for TV with Black and Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead Universe), who has had a longtime deal at AMC Studios, attached to executive produce, and Witten (Creepshow) co-executive producing.

At AMC Global Media’s 2026 upfront, AMC Studios announced that it had opened a writers room for Bannerman.

Silverstein was involved in Bannerman early on. He then left to executive produce Percy Jackson and the Olympians, returning when the project started getting traction at Netflix.

Bannerman centers on the eponymous Paul Bannerman, a lethal covert operative who convinces a group of the world’s most deadly assassins to quit the spy game for a chance to lead normal lives in the suburbs of Connecticut. Old enemies, bad habits, a paranoid government and an unrelenting ex-cop will make retirement their most difficult mission yet.

Maxim’s series spans five books.

“Bannerman is a smart, high-octane thrill ride of a series, powered by an extraordinary creative team,” said Dan McDermott, chief content officer of AMC Global Media and president of AMC Studios. “This is the perfect premium drama to kick off our first co-production with Netflix, and we are thrilled to continue evolving and expanding our partnership by jointly developing and producing select original series for our respective platforms.”