‘Purity’ Drama Starring Daniel Craig From Scott Rudin Eyes Series Order

James Bond star Daniel Craig is headlining Purity, a hot drama series package that hit the cable and digital marketplace earlier this week. The project, produced by Scott Rudin, is based on the book of the same name by The Corrections author Jonathan Franzen, published last September. Todd Field is writing the adaptation with Franzen.

Purity_book
Purity_book

I hear the package has been seeking a series order 20 episodes, with Field set to direct all 20 hours. Purity was taken out to cable networks, including Showtime and FX, and streaming services, including Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. (I hear HBO was not among the networks pitched. The network and Rudin had an exclusive deal, which ended abruptly in 2012.) I also hear Showtime has made an offer in line with what the producers had been looking for and is looking good, though not all bids are in and no decision has been made about where the project will end up. Showtime previously aggressively pursued another big package with an A-list feature actor attached, limited series True Detective starring Matthew McConaughey, offering a straight-to-series order, but was ultimately outbid by HBO.

I hear Purity could be a limited series, ending at 20 episodes, but it could go beyond that.

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Image (2) scott-rudin__121223005645-275x329.jpg for post 393746

Written by Field, I hear Purity was originally envisioned as a feature. The project, first reported by Variety, is descried as a dark comedy. It centers on Pip, a young American woman who does not know who she is, and Andreas, a charismatic German provocateur, the role Craig is expected to play. He heads a South America-based organization that traffics in all the secrets of the world; Pip gets an internship there in search of her identity.

The collaboration between Craig and Rudin stems from their previous work together on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Mike Nichols’ Broadway production of Betrayal. Rudin previously worked with Field on a script that was set up at HBO under the producer’s deal there.

Rudin now has a first-look deal with Fox Network Group. Under that pact, Scott Rudin Prods. has been ramping up its TV efforts, overseen by Garrett Basch, setting up a number of projects across several Fox networks.

Craig recently reprised his role as 007 in the latest James Bond film Spectre. He has yet to commit to anther Bond movie.

The project is being shopped by WME, which reps Rudin, and CAA, which reps Craig and Field.

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