Tom Hiddleston’s Netflix Political Thriller Has Been Stuck in Development Forever

OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.

Tom Hiddleston is one of the most famous names in Hollywood right now. Best known for his role as Loki, he’s arguably the biggest star from the Marvel Cinematic Universe who doesn’t play a superhero. Hiddleston currently headlines the Disney+ series Loki, which is one of the best-received MCU projects since 2019’s Endgame. He’s also appeared in notable works such as Midnight in Paris, War Horse, Crimson Peak, and Kong: Skull Island.

Looking to switch things up, the actor struck a deal with Netflix to star in a new series called White Stork. But unfortunately for Hiddleston, the production has experienced numerous delays and seems to be stuck in limbo — or possibly in developmental hell.

Tom Hiddleston Is Set to Play an Ambitious Politician

Described as a political thriller, White Stork follows an ambitious British politician named James Cooper, who’s been selected to run for a seat in Parliament. He’s then linked up with Asher Millan, a woman who specializes in vetting political candidates for primetime. Milan uncovers dark secrets from Cooper’s past that threaten to upset influential people and jeopardize his political campaign — and maybe even jeopardize his life.

As of now, Tom Hiddleston is the only confirmed cast member on White Stork and will play the lead role of James Cooper. Online rumors claim that Claire Foy, who played Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of Netflix’s The Crown, has been offered the role of Asher Millan. But nothing has been publicly confirmed just yet.

White Stork Has Been in Development Since 2017

White Stork is a limited series that’s been in development since 2017. Originally titled Spadehead, the show was initially in development at AMC, where it stalled for unknown reasons for three years. Netflix bought the show in 2020 and announced that it would be officially going into production. Now known as White Stork, it was created by Chris Dunlop, who (according to IMDb) also wrote nine episodes of the show.

It’s being produced by the same team behind Sex Education, another popular series on Netflix. Producers grabbed Denmark-based director Kristoffer Nyholm, who directed several episodes of the first season of Taboo starring Tom Hardy. We were supposed to get ten one-hour episodes of White Stork, but since 2020, we’ve instead gotten nothing.

The Pandemic Brought Production to a Halt

Unsurprisingly, 2020’s global pandemic halted production on White Stork, along with many other TV shows and movies. But since that time, many of these projects have either resumed or completed production. Despite getting a green light from Netflix, White Stork has never been able to take flight. Its production has been pushed back from January 2021, to March 2021, to…well, never. Netflix hasn’t provided an update on this series in years.

Several people who were once attached to it no longer seem to be working on the show. For example, production designer Nicole Northridge stated online that production on White Stork “Paused due to Actor Availability.” Could this be a reference to Hiddleston? Was he too busy with Loki or other projects? Regardless, all signs seem to indicate that White Stork is stuck in production limbo.

There is still a dash of hope for this political thriller, however. If you search for it on Netflix by its original title, Spadehead, a title page for this series does come up. It’s blank and provides little information, other than the fact that you’re looking at a British TV drama. Netflix doesn’t even list the show by its proper name.

But the fact that its title page still exists, even after all this time, could mean that Netflix hasn’t pulled the plug and canceled White Stork just yet. Maybe it’s on the docket, and they’re still trying to figure out production. Or, on the flip side, maybe it means that White Stork has fallen so low on Netflix’s list of priorities that the streaming giant has forgotten or no longer cares about its existence. Which means that White Stork, and Hiddleston’s role in it, could be stuck in limbo for a long, long time.