Martin Scorsese has already had success on the small screen with Boardwalk Empire, but it appears he’s ready to raid his own back catalogue for his next big project, setting up a deal with Miramax to turn Gangs Of New York into a TV series.
While there is no mention of a home for the series yet, you’ve got to figure that most channels would fight for the chance to make a show with Scorsese. And given how well Boardwalk Empire has done for it, we’d imagine HBO would be itching to keep the relationship going.
The Gangs series would be set after the movie, which focused on Leonardo DiCaprio’s Amsterdam Vallon and his time with Bill “The Butcher” Cutting (Daniel Day-Lewis), and draw on events surrounding organised crime gangs at the turn of the 20th century. It’ll also explore characters outside of New York.
“This time and era of America’s history and heritage is rich with characters and stories that we could not fully explore in a film,” Scorsese says in a statement picked up by Variety. “A television series allows us the time and creative freedom to bring this colourful world, and all the implications it had and still has on our society, to life.”
“No-one better exemplifies what the new Miramax is and will be better than Martin Scorsese,” says Miramax chairman Richard Nanula. “His dedication to quality and the art of storytelling continues to excite everyone that works with him and watches his films and television programs. We could not think of a better partner for this project than the creator of the wonderful film on which it is based.”
Don’t go expecting the film’s stars to show up for this, though the Scorsese name carries plenty of weight when it comes to casting, so we’re sure there will be a solid line-up of names attached. Scorsese’s latest big screen outing, The Wolf Of Wall Street, should arrive later this year or early next.