EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, WGN America has landed American Dream, a suspense drama project executive produced by House creator David Shore and produced by Sony TV. Written/co-executive produced by feature scribe Wayne Beach (Murder At 1600), the project, now in development, chronicles the cat-and-mouse game that erupts when a Manhattan homicide cop suspects one of America’s top CEOs of being a killer. The relationship becomes mutually dependent: this CEO who needs psychopathic games to refuel himself personally and professionally, and a cop who exploits the game to make inroads into a world he’s always wanted to inhabit – that of the rich and famous. “The cop shares our culture’s obsession with celebrity, killers and the rich,” Beach said. “It isn’t just about how you catch a killer who makes $83 million a year and plays golf with the president, but what happens when your prey is everything you always wanted to be: rich, untouchable and famous.” Shore said his involvement in the project stems from the draw of “being pulled into a very seductive and thoroughly imagined world with an extremely compelling relationship at its core, very much resonating our fascination with the 1%.” Sony TV-based Shore executive produces with Rick Berg.
The deal for American Dream comes as WGN America is ramping up its original slate under president Matt Cherniss and scripted head Jonathan Wax. The network employs a script-to-series model, greenlighting the scripts it likes to series, as it did with its first two original series: the recently picked up dramas Salem and Manhattan. American Dream marks the fourth sale for Shore and his Shore Z banner in the past few months, including his blockbuster teaming with Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan for the CBS direct-to-series drama Battle Creek. Beach’s feature credits also include The Art Of War and psychological thriller Slow Burn. He most recently adapted Lee Vance’s novel Garden Of Betrayal for Identity Films. He is repped by UTA and Code Management. Shore and his Shore Z are repped by ICM Partners and The Shuman Co.
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