Underground star Chris Meloni is set as the male lead in Syfy pilot Happy!, based on Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson’s graphic novel.

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Meloni will play Nick Sax. Once a rock star detective for a major metropolitan police force, Nick lost it all. Now he’s a broken, down-and-out hired killer who makes just enough money to support a steady diet of booze, drugs and sarcasm by carrying out hits for the mob. After one hit goes wrong, his life is forever changed by a tiny, relentlessly positive, imaginary blue-winged horse. Meloni also will executive produce the pilot.

Morrison and Brian Taylor (Crank, Gamer) will write and executive produce. Taylor will also direct. Neal Moritz, Pavun Shetty and Toby Jaffe of Original Film (The Fast and the Furious franchise) are set to executive produce alongside Morrison and Taylor. Meloni’s longtime manager Bill Butler is also on board as a producer. The pilot hails from Universal Cable Productions.

Law & Order: SVU alum Meloni stars on WGN’s Underground and will direct an episode of the show’s second season, which is in production. He also will return for the second season of Netflix’s Wet Hot American Summer. In film, Meloni next will star opposite Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn in the untitled mother/daughter comedy that’s due in May. He is repped by Gersh and Industry Entertainment.