So far this dystopian projection hasn’t come true, but if Amazon’s latest round of pilots and new projects in development is any indication, it’s a good bet Netflix won’t be the only streaming television service broadcast and cable outlets should fear.
Advertisement
The TV series will unfold in modern-day Chicago, where a rookie cop goes undercover in a Latino gang at the same time one of the gang’s members gains access to the city’s police department. Deadline reports Amazon is developing a TV series based on the Oscar-winning film.
Roy Lee, Michael Connolly, Graham King, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Sarah Esberg, Tripp Vinson, Doug Davison, and Gianni Nunnari are all signed on to executive produce.
Oh yeah, and the guy who wrote it – Jason Richman of Detroit 1-8-7 fame? Set in present-day Chicago amid the shifting tides of warring ethnic drug gangs, the gritty, suspenseful drama follows the two embattled moles as they attempt to fulfill their mission and stay alive.
It’s early yet, but would The Departed work as its own series, loosely inspired by the original films?
Advertisement
The original The Departed, which was an adaption itself of the Chinese film Infernal Affairs, was released in 2006 and starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. Both movies will serve as inspiration for the series. As of now, there’s no word on a cast, show runner, or premiere date for the series. And with its awards pedigree (the movie took home Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing, in addition to netting Mark Wahlberg a nod for Best Supporting Actor), producers are no doubt eager to repeat the film’s critical success on the small screen, too.
