Acclaimed actor Giancarlo Esposito has landed his next role atAMC. The Emmy-award wining star of AMC’sBreaking BadandBetter Call Saulis set to lead and executive produce a new crime drama,The Driver, based on the British series of the same name.
Created by Sunu Gonera and Danny Brocklehurst,AMC’sThe Driverfollows a cabbie (Esposito) whose life is turned upside down when he agrees to chauffeur aNew Orleans-based, Zimbabwean gangster notorious for exploiting undocumented immigrants at ports in the southern United States. The original British series starredThe Walking Deadactor David Morrissey.
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The six-episode first season will be produced by AMC Studios in association with A+E Studios and Thruline Entertainment. Theo Travers, whose previous writing credits include the Showtime seriesBillionsandHouse of Lies, will serve as showrunner forThe Driver.Gonera will direct the first episode and serve as executive producer alongside Brocklehurst, who co-created the original British series. In an official statement, Esposito said, “I am over the moon excited, enthused, and inspired to be in collaboration with the stellar network and creative team of AMC. Thanks for believing in me. It’s great to be back home!”
“It is a pleasure and a privilege to be working with AMC on this bold reimagining of my U.K. miniseries,” said Brocklehurst. “Sunu Gonera and Theo Travers have both brought superb original voices to the premise, and I am thrilled to be going on this ride with them.” Travers added, “I couldn’t be more excited to help bring this show to life. I’ve been a fan of Giancarlo’s work since Spike Lee’sDo The Right Thing. It’s a true honor to have the chance to collaborate with him in this way.The Driveris a high-voltage, dark identity quest for an everyman trying to find renewed purpose in his life.”
Dan McDermott, President of entertainment at AMC studios, said, “Giancarlo is a singular talent who is already beloved by AMC viewers through his standout performances inBreaking BadandBetter Call Saul. We are excited to be continuing his relationship with AMC and AMC+ in a series built around him and an unforgettable character who takes what he thinks is a straightforward job opportunity and finds himself confronted with a world that tests him in ways he could never have imagined.”
Before his eclectic career in television, Esposito was primarily known for his supporting roles in director Spike Lee’sacclaimed filmsDo The Right ThingandMalcolm X.In more recent years, Esposito has developed a reputation for playing villains on TV. He won a primetime Emmy for his performance as drug lord/fast food proprietor Gustavo Fring on AMC’sBreaking Bad, a role which he has reprised on the prequel spinoff seriesBetter Call Saul. Esposito’s next role inThe Drivermay give him a chance to show another side of his acting abilities, as he will be leading the series and from the sounds of it, playing a character who is more sympathetic than his previous TV roles.
The Driveris set to premiere in 2023 on AMC and AMC+.
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