HBO Orders Limited Series ‘The Son’ Starring Jake Gyllenhaal With Denis Villeneuve Directing
HBO has handed a series order to ‘The Son‘, a limited drama based on the Jo Nesbø novel, starring and exec produced by Jake Gyllenhaal, with Denis Villeneuve set to direct.
Based on ‘The Son’, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Jo Nesbø, it is described as a tale of vengeance set amid Oslo’s brutal hierarchy of corruption. The story follows Sonny Lofthus who is serving time for crimes he did not commit. As payment, he receives a steady supply of heroin to satisfy his addiction, and passes the time by listening to the confessions of other inmates to help soothe their troubled souls. When one inmate’s confession reveals some long-hidden truths about his disgraced cop father, Sonny breaks out to make those responsible pay for their crimes.
The series will be written by Lenore Zion, who also serves as showrunner. Zion previously worked on shows such as ‘Billions’ and ‘Ray Donovan’, and created the upcoming Netflix horror series ‘Brand New Cherry Flavor’. He is also developing a feature film with Trey Shults directing and Gal Gadot starring.
Gyllenhaal exec produces via his Nine Stories Productions, alongside Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy (‘Westworld’, ‘Fallout’) for Kilter Films. Denis Villeneuve (‘Blade Runner 2049’, ‘Dune’) will direct and executive produce along with Lenore Zion, Nine Stories’ Riva Marker, and Kilter Films’ Athena Wickham.
“Jonah and Lisa are a formidable creative force and we are excited to collaborate with them again, alongside the brilliant Lenore, to adapt Jo Nesbø’s novel,” commented Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming. “Denis is a master at weaving visually exquisite and unique narratives, Jake is a gifted actor and producer whose work often traverses provocative and compelling terrain, and of course, he and Denis have collaborated brilliantly in the past. We are beyond excited to see how this powerhouse team tackles this exceptional work.”
No news on when ‘The Son‘ will premiere on HBO in the USA, but it should fall under Sky’s overall deal in the UK, and air on Sky Atlantic here. We’ll let you know when we hear more.
