Slightly over one year ago today, HBO decided to pass on Codes of Conduct, a TV series from 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen.   McQueen was set to direct all six episodes of the series, which was “an exploration of a young African-American man’s experience entering New York high society, with a past that may not be what it seems.” The show was set to star newcomer Devon Terrell along with Paul Dano, Helena Bonham Carter, and Rebecca Hall.

While McQueen has moved on to direct the heist thriller Widows, Codes of Conduct is still alive. According to Screen Daily [via The Playlist], the production company behind the show, See-Saw, is eager to find a new home for the show. “It’s a story that’s very important to Steve to tell and we’re very emotionally involved in it,” co-founder Iain Canning said.

12-years-a-slave-steve-mcqueen-set-photo
Image via Fox Searchlight

While a pilot has reportedly been shot, it’s not clear if McQueen would want to have the same level of involvement, start over, and possibly recast. Additionally, that involvement would probably be determined by the amount of funding and support a potential distributor could provide. For example, Netflix could pour a lot more money into Codes of Conduct than Annapurna, but Annapurna is looking to make a splash.

Whatever the case may be, it’s a good idea to be in the Steve McQueen business, and hopefully a new network will step up to the plate and HBO’s loss will be another channel or streaming service’s gain.

In the meantime, McQueen should be getting ready to roll on Widows later this year with Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, and Michelle Rodriguez set to star. The plot is based on the 2002 British miniseries of the same name, and the film revolves around four armed robbers who are killed in a failed heist attempt, only to have their widows step up to finish the job.

12-years-a-slave-steve-mcqueen-lupita-nyongo
Image via Fox Searchlight
12-years-a-slave-chiwetel-ejiofor-steve-mcqueen
Image via Fox Searchlight