Steven Lightfoot Developing ‘Scot Harvath’ Books For Sony Pictures Television Under New Overall Deal

Matt Grobar
·4 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Steven Lightfoot (Shantaram, The Punisher) has been tapped to develop a series adaptation of the Scot Harvath books from New York Times bestseller Brad Thor, under a relatively fresh overall deal with Sony Pictures Television that has previously gone unreported, Deadline has learned.

We’re told that the deal for scripted drama development across cable and streaming came together last year, ahead of the WGA strike. As previously reported, Lightfoot is also currently in business with the studio as co-showrunner alongside Oren Uziel of Sony Pictures Television’s untitled Spider-Man Noir series, based on the Marvel comic, for MGM+ and Prime Video.

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In addition to scripting the as-yet-untitled Scot Harvath series, Lightfoot is exec producing alongside Thor; the John Wick franchise’s Chad Stahelski and his colleagues Alex Young and Jason Spitz at 87Eleven Entertainment; Shaun Redick & Yvette Yates Redick of Impossible Dream Entertainment; Scott Cross & Sean Cross of Cross Pictures, LLC; Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa. Sources tell Deadline that action master Stahelski may direct up to the entirety of the show’s first season, though with so much on his plate at present, this will likely come down to scheduling.

Kicking off with The Lions of Lucerne in 2002, the Scot Harvath book series is fast approaching over 20 million copies sold worldwide. The novels follow ex-Navy SEAL and intelligence operative Scot Harvath as he protects the United States and the world through any means possible. Of the 23 books, 20 are New York Times bestsellers with multiple debuting at #1, as well as being voted Best Book and Best Thriller of the Year. Up next in the action thriller series is Shadow of Doubt, which released July 23rd.

Other well known titles from Thor include Near Dark, which was one of Suspense Magazine‘s Best Books of the Year; Backlash, which was nominated for the Barry Award for Best Thriller of the year; The Last Patriot, which was nominated for Best Thriller of the Year by the International Thriller Writers Association; and The Apostle, for which he spent time shadowing a Black Ops team in Afghanistan, to name a few. In addition to serving as a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s Analytic Red Cell Unit, Thor has lectured to law enforcement organizations on over-the-horizon/future threats and been a keynote speaker for the National Tactical Officers Association’s annual conference.

Previously, Lightfoot created, wrote and exec produced Apple TV+’s Shantaram, starring Charlie Hunnam, as well as Netflix’s psychological thriller Behind Her Eyes — which hit the top five on the streaming service when it launched — and the Marvel series The Punisher starring Jon Bernthal. Other notable screen credits for the two-time BAFTA nominee include Narcos and Hannibal.

87Eleven Entertainment is presently developing a Henry Cavill-led Highlander pic that Stahelski is to direct and oversee for Lionsgate; action-adventure pic Ghost of Tsushima, based on the video game, for Sony/PlayStation; a take on the Tom Clancy novel Rainbow Six starring Michael B. Jordan; adaptations of the popular Black Samurai novels and Trevanian’s novel Shibumi for Netflix and Warner Bros, respectively; and a remake of South Korean action flick The Man from Nowhere for New Line. On the television front, the company is developing Project Nemesis with Sony Pictures Television.

Founded by Shaun Redick and Yvette Yates Redick, Impossible Dream Entertainment previously teamed with 87Eleven to develop and produce Netflix’s vampire thriller Day Shift, starring Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, and Snoop Dogg, which debuted at #1 worldwide on the streamer. Previously, the company has also produced Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning pop culture phenomenon Get Out, as well as Spike Lee’s Oscar and Cannes Grand Prix winner, BlacKkKlansman.

A pair of Emmy winners perhaps best known for co-creating Showtime’s Homeland, Gordon and Gansa most recently teamed to exec produce Fox’s crime drama Accused, developed by Gordon, which has been renewed for a second season. Additionally, the duo have worked alongside one another on 24, 24: Legacy, and more.

Thor is repped by Heide Lange of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc., as well as attorney Scott E. Schwimer, Esq; Lightfoot by WME, Curtis Brown and Sloane, Offer, Weber, & Dern; Stahelski by WME and attorney Tara Kole; Gordon by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Gendler, Kelly & Cunningham; and Gansa by WME and Gendler, Kelly.

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