Discovery Channel is teaming up with Lionsgate to develop a mini-series based on John Jakes’ bestselling North and South trilogy. Jakes will be involved as an executive producer on the mini-series, however, there’s no official word yet on who will adapt the books or direct the limited-run series.
Per the official announcement:
“North and South will tell the epic story of two families – the Hazard family, northern factory owners from Pennsylvania, and the Main family, southern plantation owners. The story begins when lead characters George Hazard and Orry Main meet as young men at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. The Hazard and the Main families become close, brought together in bonds of friendship and affection that neither jealousy nor violence can shatter.
At a time when great technological advancements were made and social and political groups worked for anti-slavery legislation as well as women’s equality, the economic foundation of the country began to rapidly change. Spanning three generations and chronicling the lives and loves of two great family dynasties, North and South shows the vastly different ways of life for the Main and Hazard families which threaten to drive them apart, fracture marriages, and poison sibling relationships. They are put to the ultimate test as fathers, sons, brothers, and friends fight each other on the battlefields of the deadliest war America has ever seen.”
