After a short break, Homeland star Damian Lewis is returning to Showtime‘s series lineup with a new drama, Billions. The pay cable network has picked up the Billions pilot, toplined by Lewis and Paul Gianatti, to series with a 12-episode order.
Described as a complex contemporary drama about power politics in the New York world of high finance, Billions is written and executive produced by screenwriters Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Ocean’s Thirteen), who will serve as showrunners, and financial journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin (Too Big To Fail). Filming is slated to begin later this year in New York for a 2016 premiere.
Billions takes an insider look at the world of high finance by tracking the approaching collision between two titanic figures – the hard-charging, politically savvy U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti), and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Lewis). Maggie Siff, Malin Akerman, Toby Leonard Moore, David Costabile and Condola Rashad co-star. The pilot was directed by Neil Burger (The Illusionist), who also serves as an executive producer.
The pickup of Billions continues Showtime drama pilots’ strong showing. Since president David Nevins joined the network in 2010, only one drama pilot, The Vatican, has not gone to series. No decision yet on Showtime’s remaining pilot, Cameron Crowe’s Roadies, which was intended as a comedy but is expected to follow an hourlong format, though its odds have been considered pretty good.
Images courtesy of Showtime.
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