The entertainment world is abuzz with the news that Montgomery County-native Chris Van Dusen, the acclaimed creator and former showrunner of Netflix’s global phenomenon Bridgerton, is taking over as the new showrunner and writer for Kim Kardashian’s highly-anticipated Netflix drama, Calabasas.
The Watkins Mill High School Class of 1997 alumnwho also attended Daly Elementary School in Germantown is making a significant creative pivot, trading the opulent balls of Regency London for the sun-drenched, high-stakes drama of Southern California’s affluent community.
Van Dusen’s pedigree comes from his tenure leading Bridgerton, a series that exploded into a cultural phenomenon. After its debut, the first season became Netflix’s biggest-ever series launch at the time, being watched by an astounding 82 million global households in its first 28 days and hitting the number one spot in 83 countries (per Netflix’s own reporting). The show’s success launched a franchise and cemented its place among the streamer’s most-watched series of all time.
Deadline reported that Van Dusen is now back at the streamer, where he will take the reins on Calabasas, replacing the original showrunner. He will be tasked with writing the adaptation and guiding the production of the new high school drama.
Calabasas is based on the book If You Lived Here You’d Be Famous By Now by Via Bleidner. The show is described as being in the vein of classic teen dramas like The O.C., centering on Via, a sheltered 16-year-old Midwestern Catholic school girl forced to navigate the complicated world of Calabasas High.
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