Matthew Weiner's Mad Men Follow-Up Will be About the Romanoffs

Matthew Weiner has finally unveiled his first post-Mad Men show: an anthology series for Amazon about people claiming they're descendants of the Romanoffs.

Although Weiner previously kept all information surrounding the series a secret, he decided it was time to reveal the first details about the anthology, titled The Romanoffs, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. And it sounds good!

The eight-episode season won't be an anthology in the sense of American Horror Story, which tells one story over the course of a season. Instead, each episode will feature a different cast, story and location. But the one thing they will have in common is the characters' conviction that they are descendants of the Romanovs, the Russian royal family that was wiped out in 1918 by murderous revolutionaries.

"And the reason that I picked the Romanovs is that in an era where we have social media and so much theoretical connection to each other it really seems like we're further apart than ever," Weiner explained. "And I love this idea that these characters believe themselves to be, whether they are or not, descendants of this last autocratic family who are part of one of the great true crime stories of all time. I also love that it's the chance to talk about nature v nurture, what they have in common and what is left of a grand heritage."

Although the writers' room for The Romanoffs just began, Weiner is already plotting ahead. The producer revealed he plans to direct four of the eight episodes, in addition to writing as many as possible. And he's already considering ways to reunite with many of his Mad Men collaborators on this project. In addition to the handful of Mad Men writers and producers who are working on the Romanoffs, Weiner said not to be surprised if he casts any former Mad Men stars in the Amazon drama. "I definitely would not rule that out," he teased.

Weiner also confirmed that - if there's interest - the first season leaves the door open for Season 2, which would continue telling the story of the alleged Romanov descendants. "And to me, there's no reason that you can't do hundreds of these because the stories are very different and there's no formula to them," he said.