Two production companies have joined forces to develop and produce a television series based on The French Quarter: An Informal History of the New Orleans Underworld.

Deadline reports that Vermilion Entertainment and Rubicon Entertainment will work together to create a small screen adaptation of the book, which deals with New Orleans criminal underbelly from its founding in 1718 to the closure of the notorious Storyville red light district in 1917. Originally published in 1936, the Herbert Asbury work dives into a variety of sordid tales, from prostitute murders to pirate exploits and more.

“Being from New Orleans, we were naturally drawn to the material that showcases an incredible time in history spanning pirates and riverboat gambling to voodoo and politics,” , Vermilion Entertainment president Todd Thompson told Deadline. “We are excited to further our great relationship with Rubicon.”

“The French Quarter has been a passion project of mine for many years, and I am extremely proud to have found the perfect partners in fellow New Orleanians the Thompsons and Vermilion to bring to light the incredibly unique story that is the birth of New Orleans,” added Rubicon Entertainment’s Nathan Grubbs.

Asbury’s work garnered renewed interest over a decade ago when Martin Scorsese used his 1928 book The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld as the basis for his 2002 film, Gangs of New York.

According to Deadline, Asbury’s other city-centric publication, 1933’s The Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld, is also being used as the source material for a different series. That project is set to star Kurt Russell and Kate Hudson, with Mel Gibson on board as director and co-writer. Gibson will also reportedly have a recurring role in the series.

The French Quarter isn’t the only New Orleans-based period television show in the works. Earlier this year, Deadline reported that Mission Control Entertainment optioned the rights to a series based on Gary Krist’s bestselling 2014 book, Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder and the Battle for Modern New Orleans. The fictional series was set to be developed by Rome co-creator William J. “Bill” Macdonald and Wild Hogs writer-director Walt Becker, though few details have been revealed since January.

While there’s no telling if any of the aforementioned projects will come to fruition, another series about New Orleans’ more recent history looks to be a sure thing. As previously reported, season two of American Crime Story will focus on Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. The first season of the critically-acclaimed anthology series, titled The People v. O.J. Simpson, covered various angles of Simpson’s famed 1995 trial.