By Stewart Clarke
The story of the pursuit of notorious Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger is coming to TV.
Newly minted Sky Studios, the production arm of Comcast’s Sky, is working up the series with “Gran Torino” producer Double Nickel Entertainment and with Fort Point Media, the shingle set up by Casey Sherman and Dave Wedge. They co-wrote the nonfiction Boston Marathon bombings book “Boston Strong: A City’s Triumph Over Tragedy,” which was adapted for the 2017 Mark Wahlberg film “Patriots Day.”
On film, Johnny Depp played Bulger in Scott Cooper’s 2015 picture “Black Mass.” The TV drama will be based on Sherman and Wedge’s upcoming book “Hunting Whitey,” which comes out next year.
The series producers said they would draw on the book’s exclusive interviews, investigative reporting, and access to the FBI to reveal the story of how Bulger and his girlfriend, Catherine Greig, eluded capture for nearly 20 years until a dedicated team of federal agents finally brought them to justice.
“When we first read the ‘Hunting Whitey’ page,s we were riveted and knew they would make a terrific series,” said Double Nickel’s Jenette Kahn and Adam Richman. “Dave and Casey have an exceptional talent for getting to the core of a story, and we’re thrilled to be partnered with them and Sky Studios.”
“Jenette and Adam are both incredible storytellers, and Sky Studios is one of the most important players in the global marketplace,” said Sherman and Wedge. “We will reveal how the aging gangster and his girlfriend avoided capture, spotlight the agents who brought them down, showcase the sensational trial back in Boston, and disclose the bizarre series of events that led to Whitey Bulger’s murder.”
Sherman and Wedge are repped by The Gotham Group. Their projects in development include “Ice Bucket Challenge” and “Thacher Island,” a thriller based on Sherman’s 2014 book “Animal.” The latter is in development at 20th Century Fox.