Fox has added two more drama projects to its event series development slate. The network has announced that they are developing an adaptation of James Clavell’s novel Shogun and Jeffrey Toobin’s book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson, both of which are being produced by FX Productions. These two new event dramas are part of Fox’s ambition to have an event series on air by 2014 and join Wayward Pines and Blood Brothers, which are also in development.
“These are both epic stories – one fiction, one fact – that have captivated millions of people worldwide. They’re riveting and emotional, with unique historic backdrops that lend themselves to the high-quality, dramatic event series we’re looking to make,” said Shana C. Waterman, Senior Vice President of Event Series & Multi-Platform Programming for Fox Broadcasting Company. “Since we announced our first two projects, Wayward Pines and Blood Brothers, we’ve received an overwhelmingly positive response from the creative community, and we’re ecstatic to have feature talent like Michael DeLuca, Nigel Williams, Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson working to bring these stories to life at Fox.”
Based on the best-selling novel by James Clavell, Shogun opens a window into the brutal world of a rarely seen feudal Japan. Set in the 17th Century, the story is told from the perspective of British hero John Blackthorne, a sailor who rises from outsider to samurai, while being used as a pawn in Japanese leader Toranaga’s struggle to reach the top of the ruling chain, or Shōgun. Shogun is both a cross-cultural exploration of Blackthorne’s journey away from the European way of life, and a star-crossed love story, as he falls for the magnificent Lady Mariko, the married confidant to Toranaga.
Based on the book of the same name by CNN’s Chief Legal Correspondent Jeffrey Toobin, The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson will take viewers behind the scenes of “The Trial of The Century,” driven by the nonstop plot of a courtroom thriller and presenting the story of the trial as it has never been told. The drama is being written by Golden Globe Award winners Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.
