After spending the last couple of months locking in a director and lead cast, HBO has officially greenlighted for production Show Me A Hero, a six-hour miniseries from The Wire co-creator David Simon. Inside Llewyn Davis leading man Oscar Isaac is set to star and Catherine Keener to co-star in the mini, which will be directed by Paul Haggis (Crash).

Penned by Simon and Baltimore Sun journalist/The Wire writer William F. Zorzi, Show Me A Hero is based on the nonfiction book by Lisa Belkin. It tells the story of Nick Wasicsko (Isaac), the youngest big-city mayor in the nation who finds himself thrust into the center of a racial controversy when a federal court orders him to build a small number of low-income housing units in the white neighborhoods of his town, Yonkers, N.Y.. His attempt to do so tears the city apart, paralyzes the municipal government and, ultimately, destroys his political future. Keener, repped by Gersh, plays Mary Dorman, an East Yonkers homeowner who comes to a remarkable realization during the battle over where to build low-income housing.

Simon, Zorzi and Haggis executive produce with Nina Noble and Gail Mutrux. This marks Simon’s third miniseries for HBO following 2000’s The Corner, which won an Emmy for Best Miniseries, and Generation Kill, which was nominated in the category. He also co-created HBO’s New Orleans drama Treme, whose five-episode final season is up for Best Miniseries Emmy this year. Simon and Haggis are with CAA. Isaac, repped by UTA and Inspire Entertainment, has been filming Star Wars: Episode VII.

