COLOGNE, Germany – Writer Michael Connelly and producer Eric Overmyer (Treme, The Wire) are teaming up to develop and co-write a TV series based on Connelly’s best-selling “Harry Bosch” detective novels.
Fuse Entertainment, the production house behind AMC’s The Killing and USA Network show Burn Notice, will back the police procedural, together with its German-based parent company SevenOne International.
“There is so much Bosch material available that I’ve felt for a long time that the best way to maintain the integrity of the character would be to take him to television where some of the best character stuff is being done right now,” said Connelly in a statement. “I love The Killing and I think teaming with Fuse and a writer of the quality and accomplishment of Eric is a fantastic combination.”?
The Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch character, well known to Connelly’s readers, is an experienced homicide detective and Vietnam war veteran who lives in the Hollywood Hills. The driven, jazz-loving detective is notorious for his anti-authoritarian attitude and active love life. In the books, Bosch’s half-brother is sleazy L.A. defense attorney Mickey Haller, whose fictional exploits were turned into the feature The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) starring Matthew McConaughey. Connelly is adapting The Lincoln Lawyer into a drama series for ABC, with Lionsgate to produce.
Connelly’s books have sold more than 55 million copies worldwide, the majority of which have been his Harry Bosch series.
Overmyer will be the showrunner on the Bosch series and will determine the order of the adaptation of Connelly’s Harry Bosch novels, which number 17 and counting and span 20 years in the character’s life.
Overmyer, Connelly and Fuse CEO Henrik Bastin will be executive producers of the show. SevenOne International will handle worldwide sales on the project.
“I’ve been a Bosch fan and a Michael Connelly fan from the ?beginning. Over the years I’ve read everything Michael’s ever ?written,” said Overmyer. “Harry Bosch is one of the iconic characters of American crime fiction. Cable television is the right venue for Michael’s great series and the opportunity to adapt it for the screen with Henrik and Fuse is thrilling.”
Joel Gotler at Intellectual Property Group and attorney Diane Golden of Katz Golden Rosenman represented Connelly; Ari ?Greenberg of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment and Jared Levine of Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein & Kohner represented Fuse Entertainment while CAA represented Eric Overmyer in the negotiations.
