Gangs of New York series is in the works, Martin Scorsese to direct

The television adaptation of Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-nominated film Gangs of New York is currently in the works at Miramax. The auteur filmmaker will reportedly executive produce the project along with directing the first two episodes. Scorsese had previously executive produced and directed the first episode of HBO’s Television series Boardwalk Empire

Gangs of New York is based on Herbert Asbury’s non-fiction book of the same name, which was first published in 1928. The 2002 feature film adaptation boasted an ensemble cast of A-list actors including Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Cameron Diaz, with Jim Broadbent, John C. Reilly, Henry Thomas, Stephen Graham, Eddie Marsan, and Brendan Gleeson. The film went on to win multiple awards including ten Academy Award nominations and one Golden Globe win for Best Director.

The upcoming series will be helmed by director Brett Leonard, who is known for films like The Lawnmower Man. The series will be a fresh take on the novel and will not feature characters from the film. The story follows the confrontations and numerous violent attacks between rival gangs in New York in the mid-1800s before the ascension of the Italian mafia during the 1920s prohibition era. Details regarding the plot, cast, and release plans are yet to emerge.