Showtime announced Thursday that it has picked up “City on a Hill,” a new one-hour drama pilot executive produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and set in the duo’s favorite city.
The idea, based on an original premise by Affleck and lead writer Chuck MacLean (“Boston Strangler”), takes place in the early 1990s when Boston was filled with criminals and corrupt law enforcement.
“City on a Hill” is a fictional account of what is called the “Boston Miracle,” or as it is technically known, Operation Ceasefire, which was a new policing initiative that focused on gun violence and problem areas.
At the center of the story is an African-American District Attorney that comes in from Brooklyn and forms an alliance with a corrupt but venerated FBI veteran who wants to maintain the status quo.
“‘City on a Hill’ is a gritty thriller about severe corruption and gangs, the type of series that takes you back and centers around the crime-riddled streets of Boston in the early 90s,” said executive producer Jennifer Todd in a statement.
James Mangold (“Logan”) is also an executive producer. The pilot will be directed by Gavin O’Connor (“The Accountant”), who is also executive producing.
“We are excited to be a part of this project with Showtime and to partner with Gavin again,” Todd continued.
O’Connor added that MacLean wrote a tense script with a lot of complexity.
“Chuck wrote a pressure-cooker of a script steeped in the tribal codes of a Shakespeare play — family, blood, betrayal, honor. His take on the ties that bind is handled with a deep honesty and insight. I see the show as a brawling thriller — and an intimate family drama — played out on the rough streets of Boston,” he said.
Affleck and Damon became Oscar winners with their screenplay, “Good Will Hunting,” which was also set in Boston. The pair — who have Boston-based roots — have starred in and have been at the helm of multiple projects based in the city, including “The Departed,” “The Town,” and others.