Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis to Star in Showtime Drama ‘Billions’

Drama pilot will take a forensic look at the world of high finance

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Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis plan to make “Billions” together with Showtime.

“Cinderella Man” star Giamatti (pictured above) and “Homeland” actor Lewis have signed on for the Showtime drama pilot “Billions,” the network said Friday.

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The pilot has also signed on Neil Burger (“The Illusionist”) to direct the pilot.

“Billions,” which is written and executive produced by Brian Koppelman and David Levien and Andrew Ross Sorkin, will take a forensic look at the world of high finance by tracking the approaching collision between two titanic figures.

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Those figures would be  hard charging, whip-smart U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhodes (who’ll be played by Giamatti) and brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king, Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Lewis).

Giamatti, who starred in the HBO miniseries “John Adams,” recently guest-starred on the historical drama “Downton Abbey.”

Lewis played Nicholas Brody on Showtime’s “Homeland” until Season 3, when his character was killed off. He plays Henry VIII in PBS’s upcoming “Wolf Hall.”

UTA, Markham Froggatt & Irwin and attorney Karl Austen represent Lewis.

UTA, manager Perri Kipperman and attorneys Robert Offer and Shelby Wieser represent Giamatti.

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