Laura Prepon to direct mermaid horror comedy Mer

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Laura Prepon is best known for her acting roles on That '70s Show and Orange Is the New Black, but she also directed a few episodes of Orange, and now she has set up a new directorial project. Prepon will be executive producing and taking the helm of a horror comedy show called Mer, which is in development at ViacomCBS's Awesomeness.

Created by the writing duo of Liz Storm and Julie Lake (who also had an acting role on Orange Is the New Black), Mer will tell the story of martini-swigging, man-eating mermaids on Martha's Vineyard. At the center of the story is 

a young woman grappling with newfound power and female metamorphosis through the point of view of a marginalized townie turned killer mermaid.

Word is that Mer will "unpack feminist themes through the eyes of a girl who must live with the dual demands of her bleeding heart and a sudden urge to eat people." 

Some genre fans have pointed out that the idea of a horror comedy centering on a woman who eats people is reminiscent of the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet, and I can only hope that Mer will come close to being as great as Santa Clarita Diet was. I have always liked the concept of man-eating mermaids, so this show already has my attention.

Storm and Lake will be executive producing Mer with Prepon.
 

So excited to be directing #MER & executive producing alongside co-creators @thelizstorm & @juliemflake! We’re making a splashy, horror-comedy about man-eating mermaids on #MarthasVineyard & are committed to telling stories about empowered women w/a diverse cast & writers room.

— Laura Prepon (@LauraPrepon) July 2, 2020