When you read the name Jon Watts in a headline lately, it normally is something to do with the filmmaker’s unenviable position as the filmmaker in the middle of the Disney/Sony Spider-Man rights situation. But hey, this time, Watts is in the news and it’s not superhero-related at all. In fact, this new project might be the most interesting thing he’s signed on for since “Cop Car.”
According to FX, Watts has signed on to helm the pilot episode of the upcoming series “The Old Man,” starring Jeff Bridges. And if that wasn’t exciting enough, the filmmaker is bringing along John Lithgow to co-star in the thriller series. “The Old Man” is based on a novel by Thomas Perry and tells the story of Dan Chase (Bridges), a retired CIA operative that has to come out of retirement after his secluded life off the grid is interrupted by an assassination attempt.
READ MORE: Jeff Bridges To Star In FX Thriller Series ‘The Old Man’ From Creators Of ‘Black Sails’
Lithgow, of course, is probably best know, recently at least, as one of the stars of Netflix’s “The Crown,” which earned him an Emmy award in 2017. He’s also been nominated for two Oscars. Lithgow has a long, storied history in the realm of TV. Many know him from the sitcom “Third Rock from the Sun,” but if you’re a fan of thrillers, you probably know him as the infamous Trinity Killer from the acclaimed fourth season of “Dexter.” (Side note, if you want to watch “Dexter” the correct way, you should just watch the first four seasons and stop.)
“The Old Man” is written by Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine. They’re probably best known for their work on the period action series “Black Sails.” As mentioned, the pilot will be directed by Watts, who is obviously best known for the two most recent ‘Spider-Man’ films, ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Far From Home’ (the latter of which earned over $1.1 billion). However, before that, he also helmed the underrated, underseen “Cop Car.”
FX has still only ordered a pilot for “The Old Man,” but with a cast and director like this attached, it’s likely we’ll hear about a series pickup soon enough.