Eleven-time Emmy winner David E. Kelley has a knack for finding and writing intriguing stories. In the last five years alone, the screenwriter and producer has brought to television successful and highly acclaimed stories like HBO‘s Big Little Lies, The Undoing, Prime Video‘s Goliath, and ABC‘s hit series Big Sky. Based on his track record, it is no wonder that Kelley‘s next project, Avalon, underwent a bidding war between production companies — ABC Entertainment ended up closing the deal, giving it a straight-to-series order.
Avalon is set to join the 2022-2023 ABC programming slate, and it’s based on a short story by best-selling author Michael Connelly. The story follows a Los Angeles detective who may have come across a career-defining mystery in the city of Avalon, in Catalina Island — a place that welcomes over a million tourists every year. Connelly is the author of multiple novels which have inspired Prime Video‘s long-running series Bosch and the 2002 Clint Eastwood movie Blood Work.
Kelley is already attached to write the first episode of Avalon. In an official statement, the screenwriter revealed he’s “excited to reunite with Michael Connelly.” The duo has recently worked together on The Lincoln Lawyer, an upcoming series based on another Connelly novel, which has also served as inspiration for the 2011 thriller of the same name that forever changed Matthew McConaughey’s career.
When talking about the new series Avalon, Craig Erwich, president at Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, praised Kelley‘s legacy and revealed he’s excited to adapt Connelly‘s intriguing investigative story to screens:
“David E. Kelley is one of the great storytellers of our time and we are excited to continue our successful relationship with him on what we believe will be his next epic series on ABC. Michael Connelly’s short story is ripe with mystery and intrigue, and we can’t wait for David and Michael to bring this eerie and captivating world to life.”
ABC has yet to announce further details for Avalon, including cast and a specific release date.
Check out the official synopsis here:
Based on a short story by Michael Connelly, the series takes place in the main city of Avalon on Catalina Island, where LA Sheriff Department Detective Nicole “Nic” Searcy heads up a small office. Catalina has a local population that serves more than 1 million tourists a year, and each day when the ferries arrive, hundreds of potential new stories enter the island. Detective Searcy is pulled into a career-defining mystery that will challenge everything she knows about herself and the island.
via Collider