FX and feature scribe Sheldon Turner (“The Longest Yard”) are teaming up for original one-hour drama series “The Gentleman.”
Scott Foley is said to be circling the project to star.
Cabler has made a script commitment to the project, which follows the day-to-day life of a likable medical supplies salesman from the Midwest who happens to be fending off a penchant for murder.
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Twentieth Century Fox TV would produce “The Gentleman” with producer Jennifer Klein in what would be the first joint series effort between FX and 20th. Turner inked a blind script deal with 20th earlier this year (Daily Variety, Jan. 22).
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Skein revolves around a seemingly straight-arrow guy — battling the occasional urge to kill — who moves to the city to help straighten out his alcoholic younger brother at the behest of his parents. Turner said the show would primarily be dramatic in tone with some elements of comedy.
“He’s the boy next door, if the boy next door was a serial killer. Charming, handsome, trying to be a good big brother, but just when you start to like the guy he does something deplorable,” he said. “We sort of treat (serial killing) — and here’s where it gets controversial — as an addiction.”
Story also concerns the quirky IRS investigator tracking him.
“They’ll be contemporaries in age, but the cop is antisocial and struggles to talk to women. He fits more into the stereotype of a killer,” Turner said.
Last year, Turner set up a pilot script at Fox for 20th and John Woo’s Lion Rock about the world of gunrunning. He also scripted the upcoming remake of “The Longest Yard” for Paramount with Adam Sandler attached to star and Peter Segal (“Anger Management”) directing.
Foley last produced and starred in the NBC laffer “A.U.S.A.” Credits include the upcoming thriller “Cursed,” “Scream 3” and the WB’s “Felicity.”
(Josef Adalian contributed to this report.)
