What originally was a New York Times best-selling novel turned into a 1995 film, and now a television series.

Epix’s new scripted mobster comedy series “Get Shorty” premiered its first episode at the Los Angeles Pacific Design Center on Thursday night.

The dark adventure comedy follows former mobster Miles Daly (Chris O’Dowd), who has dreams of becoming a Hollywood movie producer. As Daly makes attempts at living a normal life away from the crime ring, he ends up carrying that baggage with him.

“A lot of the stuff he goes through is quite understandable,” O’Dowd added. “He’s going through relationship problems and trying to win his daughter back, trying to improve his job.”

Creator and writer Davey Holmes told Variety about his vision for the TV adaption of Elmore Leonard’s classic novel. “We wanted to ground it, have the ability to slow it more down at times and to play some serious drama, to invest in the character emotionally.”

Attending the premiere with O’Dowd was co-star Ray Romano who portrays the spiky-haired Rick, a joke of a producer in Hollywood whose films have been nothing but flops. However, an unconventional relationship develops between the two characters as Rick becomes Miles’ tour guide around the film industry.

“It was fun to play a guy that was a little angst, a little desperate, and a little tortured. We’re all in there,” Romano said. “I was a fan of the movie, but this was different than the movie also in that it was dirtier.”

During the premiere, O’Dowd and Romano did not shy away from tossing compliments at each other on the red carpet.

“All I know him from is his comedies, warm and cuddly,” Romano said of O’Dowd. “It’s surprising how he embodied this cut-throat guy when he has to be.”

“Get Shorty” premieres on Aug. 13.