Epix has ordered its third original scripted series this afternoon - Get Shorty, a drama based on the 1990 Elmore Leonard novel and the 1995 film starring John Travolta of the same name. Production will begin later this year for a Summer 2017.
Get Shorty centers on Miles Daly, who works as muscle for a murderous crime ring in Nevada. For the sake of his daughter, he attempts to change professions and become a movie producer, laundering money through a Hollywood film. But instead of leaving the criminal world behind, he accidentally brings it with him to Los Angeles.
Davey Holmes (Shameless, In Treatment) is adapting the series and will serve as executive producer. MGM Television will produce.
"We're excited to be working with MGM on Get Shorty," said Mark S. Greenberg, President and CEO, Epix. "I had the pleasure of working with Elmore Leonard early in my career and I am a big fan of his writing. Davey Holmes is a tremendous talent and has created a fantastic new series that is in the spirit of Leonard's unique brand of social satire and strong narrative voice. Get Shorty promises to be yet another example of the type of high-end, premium TV that Epix is committed to delivering to its subscribers."
"Davey has created a modern-day re-envisioning of Elmore Leonard's timeless cult classic where organized crime and Hollywood collide in very funny ways. We are thrilled to bring these irreverent characters to fans and audiences around the globe with our fantastic partners at Epix," added Mark Burnett, MGM Television and Digital Group president, and Steve Sark, MGM president of television development and production.
