Ever since his visionary work on the first season of HBO’s TRUE DETECTIVE, all eyes have been on Cary Joji Fukunaga. The director followed that up with a shift towards film, and his BEASTS OF NO NATION was a critical success last year- earning rave reviews, awards, and a Golden Globe nomination for Idris Elba. Now Fukunaga seems poised to return to the small screen with THE ALIENIST, and it looks like he’s assembling a nice array of talent.

The Wrap has revealed that Garrett Hedlund (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, PAN, TRON: LEGACY) is in negotiations to star in THE ALIENIST. The TV series, based on the novel by Caleb Carr, was adapted by Hossein Amini. Another of Amini’s notable credits is the 2011 critical darling DRIVE, starring Ryan Gosling, which made him a writer to look out for. 

The signing of Hedlund would be notable, since the actor is seen as a rising star in Hollywood. Clearly, if he’s willing to sign on for a series meant for the TNT network, it must mean that the material he’s looked at is strong. That’s a boon for TNT, which is trying to overhaul its image with a slate of edgy, innovative series. Putting together a package that includes Fukunaga, Hedlund, and Amini is one surefire way to do that.

THE ALIENIST will tell the tale of an investigation in 1800s New York, where a doctor, a reporter, and then-police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt hunt down a serial killer. 

It’s being produced by Paramount TV, and there’s no word yet on when it will enter production. As of now, Fukunaga is attached to executive produce the series, as well as direct the pilot.

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SOURCE: The Wrap