EXCLUSIVE: The Matrix franchise and Sense8 co-creator Lilly Wachowski has come on board to produce, co-write, and co-direct a series to be based on Abby McEnany and Tim Mason’s pilot, Work in Progress, which is making its premiere in the Indie Episodic Section at the Sundance Film Festival on Tuesday, Jan. 29.

In Work in Progress, Abby is forced to re-evaluate her life choices, her dating options, and whether or not to confront the woman responsible for ‘ruining her life’: SNL’s Julia Sweeney. Abby’s therapist dies mid-session, and she begins to date a trans man. Mason and McEnany co-wrote the pilot, Mason directed it with McEnany starring. Circle of Confusion’s Josh Adler, Ashley Berns and Lawrence Mattis will executive produce along with Wachowski, McEnany, Mason and Lisa Masseur.

Abby McEnany Michael Ognisanti

McEnany is a mainstay of the Chicago improvisational comedy scene where she has performed with The Second City National Touring company and regularly performs at iO Chicago. She wrote and performed her one-woman shows, “They’re Not All Winners” and “Work In Progress” – the latter of which led to the creation of this pilot.

Mason is a filmmaker/actor/writer based in Chicago. His comedic short film, No Other Way To Say It, played in film festivals throughout the world and was named Best Narrative Short at Slamdance 2017 and Best Comedic Short of 2017 by Vimeo. He is an accomplished commercial director and is a veteran of The Second City Mainstage.

Circle of Confusion produces the hit AMC TV series The Walking Dead and its companion series Fear of the Waking Dead, and recently set up Thirteen at Amazon through Circle of Confusion Television Studios, its partnership with ITV. Last fall Circle received a series order from Amazon for Daisy Jones & The Six (produced with Hello Sunshine). In film, Circle recently wrapped Rim of the World, which McG directed for Netflix. Circle’s other films include Spare Parts starring George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Marisa Tomei, American Ultra starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, Mr. Right starring Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick and Mayhem starring Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving. Circle is also developing Inherit the Earth at Sony and a remake of An American Werewolf in London at Universal.

Wachowski is repped by WME, Circle of Confusion and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler & Feldman. Mason is repped by Circle of Confusion and Mason and McEnany are both repped by Cohen & Gardner. Circle is repped by CAA and Behr Abramson Levy.