Cinemax Gives Pilot Order to William Petersen Crime Drama

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William Petersen

Former CSI: Crime Scene Investigation star William Petersen has inched closer to making his small-screen return.

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Two years after departing the CBS procedural, Cinemax has given pilot orders to Petersen and GK-TV's hourlong drama pilot Hurt People, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Petersen will star as Hollis Brown, a longtime hitman employed by the crime family that killed his wife who has been brought in to hunt down his estranged daughter, who is intent on destroying those responsible for her mother's death.

Peter Macmanus (Hollywoodland) will pen the script and executive produce alongside Petersen, CSI EP Cynthia Chvatal and GK-TV's Graham King, Tim Headington and Craig Cegielski. Beth Stine is on board as a supervising producer.

Hurt People would mark Petersen's first starring gig since he departed his role as Gil Grissom on CSI. The series has featured a number of high-profile actors -- Laurence Fishburne, Ted Danson, Elisabeth Shue -- in its bid to fill the void left by his departure from the series.

Cinemax's effort marks latest in the HBO sibling's push into original scripted fare. The premium network recently gave series orders to Banshee, a drama from True Blood's Alan Ball and House's Greg Yaitanes. The network renewed its first scripted entry, action drama Strike Back, for a second season in October.

Petersen and Macmanus are repped by UTA.

E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit