Rosario Dawson (Rent, Seven Pounds) is set as the lead of USA Network’s hourlong pilot Briarpatch, from Universal Cable Productions, Paramount Television, Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail’s Esmail Corp and Anonymous Content.

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Written by Andy Greenwald based on the Ross Thomas novel, Briarpatch centers on Allegra “Pick” Dill (Dawson), a tenacious and highly-skilled investigator working in Washington, DC for a young, ambitious Senator. When her ten-years-younger sister, a homicide detective, is killed by a car bomb, Allegra returns to her corrupt Texas hometown. What begins as a search for the murderer becomes a fraught and dangerous excavation of the past Allegra has long sought to bury.

Dawson will also serve as producer on the project, described as celebrating the book’s blend of crime, thriller, mystery, and pulp fiction while updating Thomas’ sense of fun, danger and place for a new generation.

Briarpatch is executive produced by Greenwald, Esmail through Esmail Corp and Anonymous Content’s Chad Hamilton.

Dawson was recently seen in the film Krystal. In TV, she has played Claire Temple on Netflix’s Marvel series Daredevil, Luke Cage Iron Fist, Jessica Jones and The Defenders and also has been recurring on the CW’s Jane the Virgin. Dawson is represented by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and The Lede Company.