Sacha Baron Cohen, ‘Nebraska’ Writer Team Up For Amazon Pilot

Amazon Studios is bolstering its collection of comedy projects with a new pilot that promises to be very nice. According to Deadline, the video division of the online retailer has given a pilot order to Highston, a coming-of-age series written by Nebraska scribe Bob Nelson, executive produced by Sacha Baron Cohen, and directed by Little Miss Sunshine duo Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton.

Highston, which is currently casting, centers on a titular 19-year-old who is “perched on the edge of adulthood,” says Deadline. In order to help himself cope with the real world, he follows the advice of famous figures, whom he conjures up in his imagination.

The writer and executive producer of Highston are both Academy Award nominees. Nelson earned a nomination for Nebraska in 2013, while Baron Cohen picked up a screenwriting nod of his own for his 2006 film Borat.

Faris and Dayton were not nominated for their work on Little Miss Sunshine, but the film itself was up for Best Picture in 2006. Should it receive a full series order from Amazon Studios, Highston will join a number of other high-profile half-hour shows, such as Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle, that have helped the streaming platform establish itself as a competitor for Netflix.

Given Amazon’s previous preference toward pilot “seasons” that showcase multiple pilots and ask for viewer input, there’s a good chance Highston will debut alongside other projects. Amazon’s most recent pilot season premiered in January and ultimately led to three full series pickups: The Man in the High Castle, The New York Presents, and Mad Dogs.