Fuck a Goodfellas series, Gangs of New York is so much more the Scorsese film that merits a TV show, and it looks like the filmmaker agrees…
Announced yesterday, a show based on the 10-time Academy Award nominated film will bring the politics, social turmoil and development of gang culture in New York, Chicago and New Orleans in the late 19th century to the small screen. It has not been said if this is being aimed at network or cable, much less which station, but with Marty having helped HBO’s successful Boardwalk Empire, it’s a good bet that they’re aiming to be bought up by a premium cable network.
“This time and era of America’s history and heritage is rich with characters and stories that we could not fully explore in a two-hour film… A television series allows us the time and creative freedom to bring this colorful world, and all the implications it had and still does on our society, to life.”
That’s Scorsese on the announcement of the show, and he’s already got me 100% on board. Imagine a series as lush and detailed as Boardwalk Empire set in the New York of Scorsese’s film, or a show that manages to capture the rich, idiomatic dialogue of the film’s screenplay.
Of course it was Daniel Day Lewis’ viciously watchable Bill The Butcher and Dicaprio’s impetuous turn as Amsterdam Vallon that makes Gangs Of New York the film it is (despite some of its flaws), so developing a stable of compelling character should be the highest priority. Fortunately the work of HBO in the period drama space has set such a high bar for putting great character actors into interesting roles with sumptuous dialogue.
Alright, that’s too much geeking out over a sliver of news, but you can bet I’ll be keeping my ears open for more info.
Source | EW (via BAD)