Netflix ordered the series in January 2016, fifteen years after Laeta Kalogridis optioned the novel with the intent of making a feature film.[2] According to Kalogridis, the complex nature of the novel and its R-rated material meant that it was a tough sell for studios before Netflix ordered the series.[2] The show was one of a number of dramas ordered in short order by Netflix, which had committed to spending $5 billion on original content.[2]