The work of writer Don Winslow has generated frenzied interest from studios and TV networks in the past, with the likes of Disney, US cable network FX and Warner Bros. all developing adaptations of his layered, impressive work. Add Sony and producer Elizabeth Gabler's 3000 Pictures to the list, as they have snapped up the rights to Winslow's lates trilogy, which kicks off with City On Fire, due on shelves in September.
Drawing structural and thematic inspiration from The Iliad, the new trilogy is set on Rhode Island, where two criminal empires, one Irish and one Italian have maintained a peaceful, lucrative co-existence until a modern-day Helen of Troy tears them apart and starts a brutal war. The main character here is Danny Ryan, is forced to grow from a street soldier into a ruthlessly efficient leader to protect his friends, his family and the home he loves. Fighting the Mafia, the local cops, the feds, Danny will build a dynasty or die trying.
"The ancient Greeks gave us all the themes we still use in modern crime fiction – honor, courage, cowardice, loyalty, betrayal and tragedy," Winslow told Deadline about the books. "I wanted to see if I could tell that story in a modern context and still have it stand on its own."
City On Fire will launch the series, with City Of Dreams following next year and City In Ashes scheduled for September 2023.