HBO has ordered a series adaptation of the Stephen King novel “The Outsider” with Ben Mendelsohn attached to star, Variety has learned.
In addition, Jason Bateman will direct the first two episodes and executive produce the series under his Aggregate Films banner.
In the series, a seemingly straightforward investigation into the gruesome murder of a local boy leads a seasoned cop and an unorthodox investigator to question everything they believe to be real, as an insidious supernatural force edges its way into the case.
Media Rights Capital is the studio and will produce along with Aggregate and Temple Hill Entertainment. Mendelsohn will also produce in addition to starring. Richard Price serves as writer and executive producer. Marty Bowen of Temple Hill will also executive produce along with Michael Costigan of Aggregate and Jack Bender.
Mendelsohn is well-known for recent film roles like “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Mississippi Grind,” and “Slow West.” He also had an Emmy-winning role in the Netflix drama “Bloodlines.” Mendelsohn starred as King George VI in director Joe Wright’s film “Darkest Hour” opposite Gary Oldman and will appear in the upcoming Marvel release “Captain Marvel.”
This marks the latest producing and directing project for Bateman. He has recently directed multiple episodes of the Netflix-MRC series “Ozark,” in which he also stars and executive produces, and directed the feature films “Bad Words” and “The Family Fang” in recent years.
Mendelsohn is repped by CAA and also by United Management in Australia. Bateman is repped by CAA, Lighthouse Management, and Hansen Jacobson. King is represented by Paradigm and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc.