If you were craving more from the mind of Heated Rivalry creator Jacob Tierney, your prayers have been answered. Tierney is officially working on his next project for Netflix, and it will be based on the relationship between Alexander the Great and Aristotle. Yes, we're coming to the cottage ancient Greece.
As confirmed by Netflix, Jacob Tierney has been tapped to write, direct, and executive produce the streamer's upcoming show, Alexander, which has been ordered straight to series. Tierney will be joining forces with Brendan Brady once again, who also served as an executive producer for Heated Rivalry, as well as actor Jason Bateman and producer Michael Costigan of Aggregate Films.
Jinny Howe, head of US and Canada scripted series for Netflix, said: “Jacob Tierney is one of the most exciting, in-demand creative voices working today, and we are thrilled to work with him on Alexander." News of Tierney's new project arrived the same day as Heated Rivalry won the Outstanding New TV Series at the 2026 GLAAD Media Awards, where Tierney, Brady, and some of the cast from the show were present.
If you want to know more about Jacob Tierney's Alexander, we've compiled all the information we have so far on the project below.
What is Jacob Tierney's Alexander about?
Much like Heated Rivalry, Jacob Tierney's Alexander is based on another book by a Canadian novelist. The show is an adaptation of Annabel Lyon's debut novel, The Golden Mean, which was published in 2009 and won the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
Tierney said he “fell in love with Annabel Lyon’s book The Golden Mean years ago and [has] been dreaming of telling this story ever since.”
As shared by Netflix, “the drama begins as the Athenian empire is crumbling and the world’s greatest mind, Aristotle, arrives in Macedonia to tutor a volatile young prince, Alexander. Amid palace intrigue, forbidden love, brutal war, and ruthless ambitions, their unlikely friendship shapes an empire and alters the course of history.”
“This series reimagines the classic power struggle between mentor and protégé with a raw, modern energy that feels both epic and incredibly intimate,” Howe said, sharing that Netflix was “immediately captivated by [Tierney's] vision for adapting Annabel Lyon’s acclaimed novel.” Howe also described the upcoming series as a “high-stakes drama” that “is poised to deeply resonate with our global audience.”
It's worth noting that Lyon's book is a reimagining of the relationship between Aristotle and Alexander, not a history book. In the book, Aristotle is described as being reluctant to teach the rebellious Alexander, whom he sees, at first, only as the son of his boyhood friend, Philip of Macedon.
Who is in the cast of Alexander?
At the time of writing, no casting announcements have been made for Alexander, but stay tuned as we learn more. We'd expect the titular roles of Alexander the Great and Aristotle to be among the first announced. Alexander starts off as a teenager in the book, and we see him grow as he is taught by Aristotle, who was almost 30 years his senior in real life. It's unclear whether Tierney's adaptation will take liberties with the character's ages.
Does Alexander have a release date?
At the time of writing, Netflix has not yet shared a tentative release date for Alexander. It's unclear when production could begin. Currently, Tierney is hard at work on season 2 of Heated Rivalry, which is expected to begin production in the summer for a projected April 2027 release.
Is there a first look at Alexander?
Seeing as the project has just been ordered to series and production is yet to start, there's no first look at Alexander yet, but stay tuned!
This post will be updated as news about Netflix's Alexander breaks.
