Issa Rae and Tracy Oliver Working on New TV Series About Open Marriage
Rae is also in talks with HBO for a new comedy project.
Issa Rae attends the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards on February 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images.
Issa Rae and Tracy Oliver are collaborating on a new television drama. According to Deadline, the pair have teamed up for an hourlong series project called Open, a look at open marriage. The series is produced by Paramount Television Studios under Rae’s first-look deal with the studio.
Open follows a married couple who have decided to open their marriage in an attempt to save it. Their decision reverberates throughout their Houston friend group, leading to extramarital affairs, secrets exposed and confrontations.
Oliver will serve as showrunner on the potential series, which she’ll executive-produce alongside Rae and Jax Clark through Rae’s Hoorae banner.
Deadline also reports that HBO has ordered an untitled “Male Friendship comedy” pilot, written and exec produced by Rae, with Prentice Penny set as showrunner, executive producer and director. Reports indicate that it is a pre-existing project set up before Rae signed a three-year first-look film and TV deal with Paramount back in January.
Back in April, Rae spoke to The Wrap about an industry downturn in representation both behind and in front of the camera.
“You have to be smarter about how you package and market [projects]. You tell them, ‘It’s not a show about a Black woman, it’s a show about class,’” she explained. “As icky as that might feel, it gets the show sold.”
“I feel like Hollywood is in an identity crisis right now, and so they’ve turned to creators and social media in an attempt to try to bring them into the system,” Rae also said. “I don’t think that that’s the right model.”
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