After more than a decade, Michael Keaton is ready to venture back into the world of TV, for a new series on Hulu titled “Dopesick.”
According to THR, Keaton will star in the upcoming series “Dopesick,” written and showrun by Danny Strong (“Empire”) and directed by Barry Levinson. The series looks at the various angles surrounding the current opioid crisis that is ravaging the US. Keaton will play Samuel Finnix, an old-school doctor that is full of compassion and kindness but somehow gets swept up in the crisis due to his association with the pharmaceutical companies. “Dopesick” is based on the book of the same name from author Beth Macy.
“I’m so thrilled to tell this story with a company as bold and as daring as Hulu,” Strong said. “The opioid crisis is one of the most important stories of our time and I’m honored to not only pay tribute to its victims but to shine a light on the heroes that fought back. Laws were broken and many lies were told. The system failed us and ‘Dopesick’ is going to show everyone how it all happened.”
Fox 21 TV Studios president Bert Salke added, “Although we were sharply aware of and empathetic to the horrifying pain caused by the opioid crisis for millions in this country, we were blown away when Warren Littlefield showed us Beth Macy’s book ‘Dopesick.’ Consequently, Danny Strong had been crafting his own telling of the opiate epidemic and in typical Danny form, it was mesmerizing. The fact that Warren and Danny are collaborating on this is a studio’s dream. Together with Barry Levinson and Michael Keaton, we have every reason to believe this important story will be one of the TV events of the coming year.”
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Keaton is one of the most acclaimed actors working today, thanks to his roles in films such as “Birdman,” “The Founder,” and “Spotlight.” His most recent episodic work on TV came in 2013 when he worked on the miniseries, “The Company.”
As mentioned, the series will be directed by Barry Levinson, who is a legendary filmmaker responsible for projects such as “The Natural,” “Wag the Dog,” and his Oscar-winning work in “Rain Man.” While he hasn’t had a theatrical feature in half a decade, most recently Levinson has worked on acclaimed TV movies such as “The Wizard of Lies” and “Paterno.”
It’s unclear when “Dopesick” might find its way on Hulu, but with this creative team and Keaton aboard, the series is definitely one to put on your must-see list.