Eddie Izzard Portrait - P 2012
NBC is bringing in private detective Junior Bender.
The network is teaming with Eddie Izzard to adapt author Timothy Hallinan‘s critically acclaimed comedic crime novels centering on the private detective, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The network has handed out a script commitment for Junior Bender, a comedic drama centering on the high-end thief with a taste for the finer things in life who sidelines as a private eye for criminals. Those who can’t go to the police go to Junior Bender.
The drama is based on Hallinan’s four-book series, first published in 2010 starting with Crashed. Little Elvises followed in 2011, with The Fame Thief in 2013 and Herbie’s Game this year.
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Royal Pains co-executive producer Jessica Ball is on board to pen the script and executive produce the Universal Television entry alongside Izzard and Sarah Townsend (Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story) via their Ella Communications banner. Izzard is not currently attached to star in the project. (The actor-producer previously had a talent holding deal with the network.)
For Izzard, the deal comes as he’s set to co-star in PlayStation’s comics adaptation Powers. He more recently had gigs on NBC’s Hannibal and Munsters reboot Mockingbird Lane. On the big screen, his roles include Boychoir, Valkyrie, Cars 2, Ocean’s Thirteen and Ocean’s Twelve. He’s repped by APA, the U.K.’s Conway Van Gelder and Morris Yorn.
Hallinan is repped by APA, Creative Book Services, Glick & Weintraub and Bloom Hergott. Ball is with APA and Jackoway Tyerman.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
