Shiv Roy is coming home to HBO, and this time she’s trading boardrooms for something far more ominous overhead. Sarah Snook is set to star in a limited series reimagining of The Birds, playing a brand-new heroine named Myra Massey in a present-day murder mystery set in Alaska, Deadline reported. It’s Hitchcock, but make it prestige TV.
What happened
According to Deadline, HBO has picked up The Birds for development with Snook in the lead, as of October 27, 2026. Variety independently confirmed the news, and The Hollywood Reporter followed suit, noting that the series adapts the Daphne du Maurier story that inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s famous film.
Deadline put it plainly: “Emmy-winning Succession star Sarah Snook is returning to HBO as the star of The Birds, a limited series inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s film and Daphne du Maurier’s novella.”
Snook isn’t just stepping in front of the camera. Variety reported that she’ll also executive produce, which means she has a real say in how this flock takes shape.
Who is Myra Massey?
Forget Tippi Hedren in a tidy green suit. Deadline described the show as a visceral, present-day reimagining of the classic, relocated to Alaska, with a murder mystery at its center and a cast of new characters. Leading them is Myra Massey, the new female protagonist Snook will play.
The official logline, via Variety, sets up a heroine with plenty on her plate before a single bird misbehaves: “Escaping a bitter custody battle, Myra (Snook) returns home with her young daughter, secretly probing a childhood friend’s suspicious disappearance.”
So: a messy family fight, a return to a hometown, a missing friend, and a mother quietly playing detective. If you watched Snook spend four seasons making Shiv Roy simultaneously sharp, wounded and impossible to look away from, you can probably picture exactly how compelling a secretive woman with something to prove could be in her hands.
The writing pedigree is promising too. Variety reported that Tom Spezialy, whose credits include The Leftovers and Watchmen, wrote the pilot and will executive produce. Anyone who survived the emotional wreckage of The Leftovers knows that’s a writer comfortable with eerie, unexplained dread. Seems like a good fit for a story about birds turning on people.
According to Variety, the producing team also includes David Heyman and Danny Samit for Heyday Television, plus Jennifer Gabler Rawlings of Omni Artists. Universal Global Television is co-studio with HBO, and Variety noted that Universal Pictures and the du Maurier estate own the rights to The Birds.
The long road to the nest
This version took its time finding a home. Deadline first reported the project on May 29, 2026, when Universal International Studios was taking it out to buyers. Per Deadline, the series had already been in development at UGT and its predecessor, Universal International Studios, for more than a year before it landed at HBO.
And that’s nothing compared to how long Hollywood has been circling this story. Hitchcock’s film hit theaters in 1963, based on du Maurier’s 1952 short story. A feature remake was announced in 2007 with Naomi Watts attached to star and Martin Campbell set to direct, but it never went into production. Then in 2017, a BBC limited series written by Irish playwright Conor McPherson was announced. That one never got made either.
Third time’s the charm? With HBO now on board and a star of Snook’s caliber leading the charge, this attempt has more momentum than its predecessors ever did.
Snook’s very good year
The timing couldn’t be much better for the Australian actress. She already has an Emmy on her shelf for playing Siobhan “Shiv” Roy on HBO’s Succession, The Hollywood Reporter noted, so HBO knows exactly what it’s getting.
She’s also a 2026 Emmy nominee for Peacock’s All Her Fault, which was produced by Universal International Studios. That’s the same Universal family behind The Birds, so it’s clear the studio liked working with her enough to hand her another twisty, female-led thriller.
What’s next
Don’t clear your calendar just yet. The Hollywood Reporter said no premiere date or episode count has been announced, and the series is still in development. No outlet has reported a production start date or a premiere window either.
What we do know: a beloved horror classic is getting a modern, Alaskan makeover, a celebrated writer is shaping the script, and one of TV’s most magnetic performers is at the center of it all. Until more details arrive, maybe keep an eye on the power lines. Just in case.
