Michaela Coel is leaving I May Destroy You behind.
According to Deadline, Coel will no longer develop a series with ties to the I May Destroy You universe. Coel and the BBC announced the series three years ago, with Piers Wenger, who was then over the BBC’s drama department, saying that the series was “at the relatively early stages.”
“There’s a relationship between Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You,” he added. “There’s a through-line to her thinking. I suspect there may be elements [of I May Destroy You] but it’s really too early to say anything specific.”
However, I May Destroy You executive producer Phil Clarke said that after going through several ideas, Coel decided against anything further within the I May Destroy You universe. As Clarke said, “When Piers went public, we were all talking about it. Those were Michaela’s thoughts as well. But then we rightly decided there wasn’t much more to say. You can only conclude that once you’ve explored it a little bit.”
I May Destroy You aired on the BBC and HBO and followed a woman who endeavored to rebuild her life after suffering sexual assault. The series is loosely based on Coel’s own experience as a sexual assault survivor. HBO also created a Gathering the Pieces campaign centered around the series focusing on education about the themes in the show and resources for Black and queer communities.
Coel became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for I May Destroy You. Coel said in her acceptance speech to up-and-coming writers, “write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn’t comfortable. I dare you.”
“Visibility these days seems to somehow equate to success. Do not be afraid to disappear from it, from us for a while, and see what comes to you in the silence. I dedicate this story to every single survivor of sexual assault.”