Frank Darabont has a new project to fill up his free time now that he’s no longer The Walking Dead‘s showrunner. TNT just announced they’ve ordered a pilot for the dramatic series L.A. Noir from executive producers Frank Darabont, Michael De Luca, and Elliot Webb.
Based on the critically acclaimed book L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America’s Most Seductive City by John Buntin, the series will follow the battle between LA Police Chief William Parker and notorious mobster Mickey Cohen. According to TNT, Darabont will write and direct the pilot.
“The story of L.A. Noir is inspired by an incredibly dramatic period in the history of Los Angeles,” stated Michael Wright, executive vice president, head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), in the official press release announcing the series. “This project is a sweeping tale of the battle for the soul of the city that was waged between the forces of the LAPD and the West Coast mob. We’re thrilled to be working with Frank Darabont and Michael De Luca, two award-winning storytellers behind some of the most entertaining films of the past two decades, as they to bring this intense and exciting crime-drama to TNT.”
“Noir is a passion of mine, so I feel blessed to delve into a project that speaks in the hardboiled vernacular,” said Darabont. “John Buntin’s superb book, though non-fiction, is our touchstone and inspiration for the stories we’ll be telling, weaving fiction throughout the facts and facts throughout the fiction. The book provides elements that are irresistible, a big canvas with endless possibilities. The goal is to deliver on the tone that the title L.A. Noir promises: a smart, gritty, authentic, period noir drama. Also a blessing is the warm welcome we’ve gotten from Michael Wright and TNT, a great bunch of folks with huge enthusiasm for the source material. The best bonus of all is getting to work with my friend Mike De Luca. He’s terrific, a tremendously smart and talented producer, a gem. Partnering with him on this marvelous project after knowing him for so many years is an absolute treat for me.”
“It has been a personal dream of mine to work with Frank Darabont since he was kind of enough to become my friend when we met in the late 1980s,” added De Luca. “He’s been an inspiration to me ever since. There is no one working at his level today who puts more integrity and humanity into their efforts to create lasting and original entertainment. This rich source material is a perfect fit for his talents, and we’re grateful to Michael Wright and TNT for this amazing opportunity.”
The Story:
L.A. Noir is 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.
Source: TNT – January 9, 2012
