FX has decided not to move forward with a new crime drama project that originated from a script by The Sopranos creator David Chase. The series, which filmed a pilot and featured a well-known television cast, will not continue to series development at the network. The decision comes as FX evaluates several pilots commissioned during its recent programming cycle.
FX not moving forward with Alison Brie’s untitled witness protection pilot
FX is not moving forward with the untitled witness protection pilot starring Alison Brie, according to Deadline. The network decided not to pick up the project to series after commissioning the pilot. Brie joined the project in July. She starred in the pilot alongside Pablo Schreiber, Zoë Chao, Jamie Neumann, Aidan Gillen, Ashley Thomas and Finn Wittrock.
Hannah Fidell and Gina Welch wrote and executive produced the pilot. They also served as co showrunners. Fidell directed the pilot, while Nicole Lambert executive produced for Chase’s Riverain Pictures. Fidell and Welch developed the project as a contemporary reworking of an unproduced script by David Chase. Chase, the creator of The Sopranos, stepped back from the project last year during development.
The story centered on a violent confrontation that forces a high end Washington, D.C. madam to turn against her partner. After the incident, the character enters witness protection and relocates with her adolescent daughter to seaside Maine. The drama explored the consequences of the confrontation and the challenges of starting a new life under federal protection.
FX had ordered several drama pilots over the past year as it evaluated potential replacements for shows that recently concluded on the network. Series including Snowfall, Mayans M.C. and The Old Man had all ended, creating space for new scripted projects. The network moved forward with multiple pilots during that period while assessing which concepts would continue to series.
Three other drama pilots ultimately received series orders from FX. These included a Snowfall spinoff starring Gail Bean and Isaiah John, Seven Sisters starring Elizabeth Olsen, Cristin Milioti and J. Smith Cameron, and Disinherited from Better Call Saul co creator Peter Gould, starring Victoria Pedretti and Kiera Allen respectively.