Chris O’Dowd will star in Apple's upcoming comedy, The Big Door Prize, according to Variety. The limited series will run for 10-episodes and plans to pull much of its storyline from the novel of the same name written by M.O. Walsh. The show will center around a small, sleepy town named Deerfield and its residents. Things heat up for the quiet town and its citizens when a mystical and bizarre machine materializes at the local grocery store. When the contraption presents its purpose of disclosing each person’s true potential, the townspeople spiral into the question of whether to stay in their comfortable lives or to follow these new paths.
O’Dowd will play Dusty, a friendly, well-liked teacher, and dedicated father and husband. Overwhelmed by the day-to-day mundanity of his life, Dusty is already wondering if he has been playing it too safe. When the machine reveals his true purpose, the teacher and family man must dig deep to figure out if he is really happy, or just simply stuck going through the motions.
Earning an Emmy award for his performance in State of the Union, O’Dowd has had a long career of success in TV and film. O'Dowd has been seen in Epix’s Get Shorty, The IT Crowd, Girls, and Moone Boy. His career in film includes titles such as Bridesmaids, The Starling, This Is 40, and St. Vincent.
The new series is getting its book to TV makeover by Schitt’s Creek writer and executive producer, David West Read who will also serve as showrunner. Read was nominated for an Emmy for his writing on Schitt's Creek, and won an Emmy for his work as executive producer on the show. Along with his work on the screen, Read also has a long history of writing for the stage. Currently, his Olivier Award-nominated musical titled, & Juliet, of which he created with renowned music songwriter and producer Max Martin, is showing in London’s West End at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
There is currently no release date for The Big Door Prize.