This October marks the 10th annversary of Warner Bros.' Best Picture winning crime dramaThe Departed. The studio is celebrating by bringing this story back to the life in a much different way, on the small screen. Today we have word that Warner Bros. is teaming up withAmazon Studiosfor a new TV series based on this hit movie, which starredLeonardo Di Caprio.
Varietyreports that Warner Bros. Television andBrad Pitt’s production company Plan B are teaming with Amazon Studios, withJason Richman(Detroit 1-8-7) set to write thepilot script. The writer will also serve as an executive producer withRoy Lee,Michael Connolly,Graham King,Dede Gardner,Jeremy Kleiner,Sarah Esberg,Tripp Vinson,Doug DavisonandGianni Nunneri. This project will mark Warner Bros.' first TV co-production deal with Amazon Studios.
The Departedis based on the Chinese-language Hong Kong gangster filmInfernal Affairs, which starredAndy LauandTony Leung. The movie is set in South Boston, following the Massachusetts State Police Department trying to take down mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) from the inside. A young rookie, Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio), who grew up in South Boston, is assigned to infiltrate the mob run by Costello. While Billy is working to gain Costello’s trust, anotheryoung copwho came up from the streets of “Southie,” Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), is quickly rising through the ranks of the state police. Earning a spot in the Special Investigations Unit, Colin is among a handful of elite officers whose mission is to bring Costello down. But what his superiors don’t know is that Colin is working for Costello, keeping the crime boss one step ahead of the police.
The new series, which will also be based onInfernal Affairs, will be set in Chicago, following a young cop who infiltrates a dangerous Latino gang, while trying to find the gang’s own spy embedded within the police department. It doesn’t appear thatMartin Scorsese, who won his first Oscar for directingThe Departedwill be involved in this TV series adaptation. This news comes just days after The CW set up a new series based onThe Lost Boys, while CMT ordered aTV series adaptationof the 1998 movieVarsity Blues.
Jason Richmanalso created the 2013 ABC seriesLucky 7and has written episodes of the PBS seriesMercy Street. He also wrote the big screen moviesBad CompanystarringAnthony HopkinsandChris Rock,Swing VotestarringKevin CostnerandBangkok DangerousstarringNicolas Cage. We’ll be sure to keep you posted with the latest updates onThe DepartedTV series.
