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t's a Walking Dead reunion on TNT.
After shooting the pilot this past spring, TNT has officially ordered the new series from Frank Darabont, based on the novel L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America’s Most Seductive City. The press release pointedly does not give a specific title for the series as yet – perhaps they are still debating whether they want to simply use L.A. Noir, or are concerned about confusion with the L.A. Noire video game.
TNT has ordered six episode of the series, set in the 1940s and 1950s, which stars Darabont’s Walking Dead actor Jon Bernthal as Joe Teague, an ex-Marine now working as an LAPD cop in an era rampant with police corruption. Another Darabont pal, Jeffrey DeMunn (The Walking Dead's Dale, The Shawshank Redemption), plays Det. Hal Morrison, who heads up the LAPD's new mob squad, with Jeremy Strong (The Happening, Lincoln) as Det. Mike Hendry, Morrison's second in command. Neal McDonough (Captain America, Justified) is Capt. William Parker, Teague's boss who is determined to weed out corruption and bring down Mickey Cohen. And Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) plays Ned Stax, who fought alongside Teague during World War II but who now works as a lawyer with connections to the mob.
Jon Bernthal and Pihla Viitala
This new series “tells the true story of a decades-long conflict between the Los Angeles Police Department, under the determined leadership of Police Chief William Parker, and ruthless criminal elements led by Mickey Cohen, a one-time boxer who rose to the top of L.A.'s criminal world. The series is a fast-paced crime drama set in Los Angeles during the 1940s and '50s. It's a world of glamorous movie stars, powerful studio heads, returning war heroes, a powerful and corrupt police force and an even more dangerous criminal network determined to make L.A. its West Coast base”
The series also stars Ron Rifkin (Alias, L.A. Confidential) as Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron, who makes it his mission to clean up corruption in city government; Pihla Viitala (Tears of April) as Anya, the head bartender at Bunny's on Central Avenue, the West Coast center of the African-American jazz scene; and Alexa Davalos (Angel, The Mist) as Jasmine, a beautiful woman whose past has come back to haunt her.
In the pilot, Simon Pegg (Star Trek, Shaun of the Dead) guest-stars as Hecky Nash, a third-rate comedian and mob hanger-on. It’s unclear of Pegg might return for more episodes. (I suppose it might depend on whether he survives the first episode!)
The TNT series is Darabont’s first project since his unceremonious departure from The Walking Dead during Season 2, a series he developed and served as showrunner on until his falling out with AMC. Darabont wrote and directed the TNT pilot and executive produces alongside Michael De Luca (The Social Network, Moneyball) and Elliot Webb (Tall Time Tales).
“This series is an intense, exciting drama that takes viewers back to a truly fascinating time in the history of Los Angeles," said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "Frank Darabont, Michael De Luca and Elliott Webb have delivered an outstanding opening episode that evokes the time and place in stunning detail. Together with a pitch-perfect ensemble cast and top-notch production crew, they have woven an engrossing tale of heroism in the face of greed and corruption. We're very excited to be working with such talented storytellers in bringing this project to life."
No date has been indicated as yet for the series to debut.
After shooting the pilot this past spring, TNT has officially ordered the new series from Frank Darabont, based on the novel L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America’s Most Seductive City. The press release pointedly does not give a specific title for the series as yet – perhaps they are still debating whether they want to simply use L.A. Noir, or are concerned about confusion with the L.A. Noire video game.
TNT has ordered six episode of the series, set in the 1940s and 1950s, which stars Darabont’s Walking Dead actor Jon Bernthal as Joe Teague, an ex-Marine now working as an LAPD cop in an era rampant with police corruption. Another Darabont pal, Jeffrey DeMunn (The Walking Dead's Dale, The Shawshank Redemption), plays Det. Hal Morrison, who heads up the LAPD's new mob squad, with Jeremy Strong (The Happening, Lincoln) as Det. Mike Hendry, Morrison's second in command. Neal McDonough (Captain America, Justified) is Capt. William Parker, Teague's boss who is determined to weed out corruption and bring down Mickey Cohen. And Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes) plays Ned Stax, who fought alongside Teague during World War II but who now works as a lawyer with connections to the mob.
Jon Bernthal and Pihla Viitala
This new series “tells the true story of a decades-long conflict between the Los Angeles Police Department, under the determined leadership of Police Chief William Parker, and ruthless criminal elements led by Mickey Cohen, a one-time boxer who rose to the top of L.A.'s criminal world. The series is a fast-paced crime drama set in Los Angeles during the 1940s and '50s. It's a world of glamorous movie stars, powerful studio heads, returning war heroes, a powerful and corrupt police force and an even more dangerous criminal network determined to make L.A. its West Coast base”
The series also stars Ron Rifkin (Alias, L.A. Confidential) as Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron, who makes it his mission to clean up corruption in city government; Pihla Viitala (Tears of April) as Anya, the head bartender at Bunny's on Central Avenue, the West Coast center of the African-American jazz scene; and Alexa Davalos (Angel, The Mist) as Jasmine, a beautiful woman whose past has come back to haunt her.
In the pilot, Simon Pegg (Star Trek, Shaun of the Dead) guest-stars as Hecky Nash, a third-rate comedian and mob hanger-on. It’s unclear of Pegg might return for more episodes. (I suppose it might depend on whether he survives the first episode!)
The TNT series is Darabont’s first project since his unceremonious departure from The Walking Dead during Season 2, a series he developed and served as showrunner on until his falling out with AMC. Darabont wrote and directed the TNT pilot and executive produces alongside Michael De Luca (The Social Network, Moneyball) and Elliot Webb (Tall Time Tales).
“This series is an intense, exciting drama that takes viewers back to a truly fascinating time in the history of Los Angeles," said Michael Wright, president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "Frank Darabont, Michael De Luca and Elliott Webb have delivered an outstanding opening episode that evokes the time and place in stunning detail. Together with a pitch-perfect ensemble cast and top-notch production crew, they have woven an engrossing tale of heroism in the face of greed and corruption. We're very excited to be working with such talented storytellers in bringing this project to life."
No date has been indicated as yet for the series to debut.
