James Gray, the writer and director behind films such as The Lost City of Z and The Immigrant, is now set to write and direct a new drama series about author Norman Mailer, Deadline reports. The series is expected to be titled Mailer and will be made in collaboration with the writer's son, John Buffalo Mailer.
Mailer is a drama series about the American novelist of the same name. He published his breakout novel, The Naked and the Dead, at age 25. The book was based on the over 400 letters Mailer sent to his wife while stationed in Japan and the Philippines after WWII. In a career spanning over six decades, he went on to establish himself in journalism, theater, and filmmaking. He would take a particular interest in writing biographies of famous artists, including Pablo Picasso and Marilyn Monroe, the latter of which received controversy over Mailer’s claims that the FBI and CIA murdered Monroe due to her affair with Robert F. Kennedy.
Mailer also had a long history of political activism with his writings and criticisms in his commentary on events like the Cold War. He would later pursue a political position as mayor of New York under the Democratic Party but was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, he remained a supporter of the political party until his death.
The series is expected to be based on J. Michael Lennon’s biography called Norman Mailer: A Double Life and will explore groundbreaking happenings the book details, which includes “a life teeming with adventure, sex, love, violence, hope, strife, betrayal, disappointments, brutal tragedies, and epic triumphs – and some of the most influential writings of the 20th Century.”
Mailer will be produced by Mailer Tuchman Media, which is owned by Mailer’s son, alongside Rudy Langlais (The Hurricane) who will serve as executive producer with Mailer, Martin Tuchman, and Jennifer Gelfer. UTA, a production company known for award-winning projects, will also be involved in the series’ production, with Jeremy Barber serving as the company’s representative.
Gray had this to say about working on a series about such an influential figure, stating:
It’s hard to come up with another individual whose voice meant more in his time than Norman Mailer’s – he chronicled humanity in all its outrageous and ugly glory through a lens that was uniquely his own. I look forward to the exciting challenge of examining his wild legacy through this series.
There is no word of casting at this time. However, with the addition of such writing and production talents this early into production, this series already shows promise and will be an interesting look into the life of an equally interesting person.