Making a movie is serious business, as the characters in Epix’s new series “Get Shorty” learn in the first trailer.
Released on Thursday, the footage shows hitman Miles Daly (Chris O’Dowd) attempting to reinvent himself as a film producer in order to win back his newly estranged family. He enlists help from Rick Moreweather (Ray Romano), a down-on-his-luck producer.
“You’re asking me to make a movie with cash?” a confused Rick asks Miles, who brings a sack of bills with him. After peering into the bag, Rick adds, “Fives and 10s?”
The 10-episode original series in based in part on the 1990 Elmore Leonard novel of the same name. It is created for television by Davey Holmes (“Shameless”) and executive produced by Holmes and Allen Coulter (“The Sopranos”), who directed the pilot. Adam Arkin (“The Americans”) directed three episodes of “Shorty” and co-executive produces.
The series hails from MGM Television and also stars Sean Bridgers, Lidia Porto, Megan Stevenson, Carolyn Dodd, Goya Robles and Lucy Walters.
A film version of Leonard’s book was released theatrically in 1995. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, it starred John Travolta, Gene Hackman, Rene Russo, Danny DeVito and Dennis Farina.
“Get Shorty” premieres Sunday, Aug. 13, at 10 p.m. ET on Epix.