“American Rust” is being brought back to life by Showtime, which gave a straight-to-series order to the show, which is now titled “Rust,” on Wednesday.
Jeff Daniels (“The Newsroom”) is attached to star and executive produce along with Dan Futterman (“Capote”), who will also write multiple episodes. Platform One Media will also produce.
Based on the novel by Philipp Meyer, the series is described as a family drama that will explore the tattered American dream through the eyes of the complicated and compromised chief of police Del Harris (Daniels) in a Rust Belt town in Southwest Pennsylvania. When the woman he truly loves sees her son accused of murder, Harris is forced to decide what he’s willing to do to protect him.
“American Rust” was previously ordered by USA Network but it announced that was not moving forward with the project last January due to problems finding a lead actor, as the show had a cast contingency attached, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Jeff Daniels is a bona fide giant on stage and screen, and Dan Futterman is a special writer and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have them together at Showtime,” Gary Levine, co-president of entertainment at Showtime said. “With vibrant characters caught in an unpredictable murder mystery, ‘Rust’ will tell the relevant and touching human story of the corrosion of the American dream.”
Variety was first to break the news of Showtime and Daniels’ involvement.