Showtime’s long-gestating series adaptation of American Gigolo has been picked up to pilot with Jon Bernthal attached to star and produce. The project hails from David Hollander (Ray Donovan) Paramount TV Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Television.

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Paramount TV originally joined forces with Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced the film noir classic starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton, to explore a TV series adaptation in 2014. The project was set up for development at Showtime in 2016 with Neil LaBute as writer. It has since gone through multiple incarnations.

In a star-making turn, the 1980 movie featured Gere as Julian Kaye, a male escort in Los Angeles.

Richard Gere

American Gigolo – 1980 Photo by Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock

Written and directed by Hollander, American Gigolo the series is a present-day reimagining of the iconic film. Bernthal will play Julian Kaye who is introduced 18 years after he’s been arrested for murder and struggling to find his footing in the modern-day Los Angeles sex industry, while seeking the truth about the set-up that sent him to prison all those years ago and also hoping to reconnect with Michelle, his one true love.

Bruckheimer executive producse along with Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed.

“American Gigolo comes with all the sizzle you’d expect, but it also offers a deep dive into the complicated waters of relationships and sexuality in 2020,” said Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks. “We’ve assembled an ‘A’ team to adapt this iconic movie into a Showtime series with the talent and magnetism of Jon Bernthal, the exquisite filmmaking and showrunning of David Hollander, the legendary Jerry Bruckheimer and our new sister studio, Paramount.”

Bernthal, who recently starred in Ford v Ferrari, is currently filming King Richard and will appear in the upcoming The Many Saints of Newark and Platform as well as Small Engine Repair, which he also produced. On television, he’s known for his starring role as Frank Castle on The Punisher and Shane Walsh on The Walking Dead.

Hollander executive produced and served as showrunner for the Showtime drama series Ray Donovan, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing and sharing in a WGA Award nod for best new series. Hollander also created the television series Heartland and The Guardian, which he executive produced and directed multiple episodes. On the big screen, Hollander wrote and directed Personal Effects, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashton Kutcher and Kathy Bates.