HBO is standing by its controversial alternative history drama Confederate following the deadly white supremacist protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday.
The premium cable network released a statement to Vulture stating that prejudgement of the series in light of Saturday’s events is “undeserved.”
“We support everybody’s right to express an opinion but the suggestion of irresponsibility on our part is simply undeserved,” the statement reads. “HBO has a long history of championing intelligent storytelling and we will approach this project with the same level of thoughtfulness that has always defined our programming.”
“We recognize the sensitivity of this project and will treat it with the respect that it deserves,” HBO says. “Our creative partners should be given time to develop the series rather than face prejudgment.”
The series faced intense backlash soon after it was announced last month, with several social media users slamming HBO with outrage in protest of the premise of the show and noting that the drama isn’t worth producing given the country’s contentious political climate.
Set during the “Third American Civil War,” Confederate will follow the lives of “freedom fighters, slave hunters, politicians, abolitionists, journalists, the executives of a slave-holding conglomerate and the families of people in their thrall,” Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss said of their new series.
In an earlier statement, Benioff and Weiss said they have “discussed Confederate for years” and are convinced “that no one provides a bigger, better storytelling canvas than HBO.”
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter @jeromeehudson
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