The pair will continue at their home on HBO, and the drama will debut in the next two years following the finale of Game of Thrones.
But the complicated premise, which details an alternate timeline of the events leading up to the Third American Civil War where the southern states have seceded from the Union, leaves the ‘land of the free’ still operating under a reality where slavery remains legal and has evolved with the times.
The reaction on social media has been strong, and many people slammed the idea before it’s even gotten off the ground.
One person bluntly said: “@HBO’s announcement of the series #Confederate confirms that our dumping the channel was a really good decision,” while another posted to Twitter: “’Confederate’ is a horrible idea for a new @HBO series… #CancelHBOConfederate.”
Others warned the subscription network, known for taking risks and shocking its viewers, that the series would be detrimental to the progression in America.
“This series shouldn’t be made if it glorifies the confederate cause. A lot of people in the south would embrace slavery if they could,” one person tweeted, as another agreed: “@HBO..you don’t have a f***ing clue how bad this will be for the country, this Confederate series…last thing we need.”
Many more fans were angry about the decision, and one simply refused to watch a show with what they deemed an uncomfortable premise, saying: “I could not watch a series in a world where slavery remains legal and has evolved into a modern institution. #Confederate.”
A second fumed at the channel for trying to create another controversial series off the back of the fantasy epic, saying: “@HBO @HBOPR I get you want another must-watch series post-GOT but ‘Confederate’ is NOT the way to go. Rethink. #TakeEmDownEverywhere.”
Game of Thrones, the most popular fantasy show on the planet, recently broke records for HBO, but also came under fire recently for its apparent lack of diversity in casting.
John Bodega, star of the new Star Wars trilogy, said he refused to watch films and television programmes if they’re only full of white actors, and put George R. R. Martin’s book-to-screen series in that category despite there being a number of prominent black actors on the show.
“There are no black people on Game of Thrones. You don’t see one black person in Lord of the Rings. I ain’t paying money to always see one type of person on-screen,” he explained.
Game of Thrones airs on Sky Atlantic on Mondays at 2am & 9pm and is available to watch on NOW TV.
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