Fresh off his Oscar win for Whiplash, J.K. Simmons is plotting his return to television with the lead role on new supernatural drama Counterpart - which has been sold to Starz. The premium cable network is eyeing an official two-season pickup for the series, which comes from MRC, Anonymous Content and Gilbert Films.
Counterpart was created and written by Justin Marks (writer of Disney's upcoming Jungle Book movie), with Morten Tyldum (Oscar-nominated for directing The Imitation Game) set to direct the first two episodes.
Described as an espionage thriller with a metaphysical twist, Counterpart tells the story of Howard Silk (Simmons), a lowly cog in a bureaucratic UN agency who is turning the last corner of a life filled with regret, when he discovers the agency he works for is guarding a secret: a crossing to a parallel dimension. Through Howard and his "Counterpart" on the other side, Prime, the show will navigate themes of identity, idealism, what ifs and lost love.
Simmons, Marks and Tyldum will executive produce with Bard Dorros, Keith Redmon, Jordan Horowitz and Gary Gilbert.
Counterpart will mark the third collaborate between Starz and MRC following upcoming Patrick Stewart comedy Blunt Talk and the Ed Helms-Hilary Swank drama The One Percent.
