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Showtime has given a series commitment and opened a writers room for spy thriller Intelligence, a real-world scripted drama series from Oscar-winning filmmaker Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty) in his first foray into television, his frequent collaborator, producer Megan Ellison, and Michael Ellenberg’s studio Media Res, which will co-produce with Showtime.
Seasoned drama showrunners Alan Poul (Six Feet Under) and Jason Horwitch (Berlin Station) have joined the project as executive producers, working alongside executive producer/showrunner Boal.
Written and directed by Boal, Intelligence, based on real stories from around the world, will explore the secret inner workings of power – how espionage intersects with politics, finance, media and Silicon Valley. The first season will dramatize the behind-the-scenes history leading up to the 2016 U.S. election, with each subsequent season looking at a major world event through the lens of covert operations.
Intelligence is a co-production between Showtime and Ellenberg’s Media Res. Ellenberg executive produces with Boal and Hugo Lindgren via Boal’s Page 1 and Megan Ellison who is the head of Annapurna Pictures.
Ellison has previously worked closely with Boal on the features Zero Dark Thirty and Detroit as well as Season 2 of the podcast Serial.
If Intelligence goes to series, it will be Ellenberg and Media Res’ fourth series order. The company has three shows at Apple, The Morning Show, Pachinko and Untitled Brie Larson Project.
“As he showed with both The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, Mark truly excels at transforming current events into gripping, scripted drama,” said Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc. “When he told us he wanted to use those same, extraordinary abilities to create his first television series, we leapt at it.”
Boal won two Academy Awards and two BAFTA Awards (Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay) for The Hurt Locker and was nominated for Oscars in both categories for Zero Dark Thirty. He also earned WGA Awards and Golden Globe nominations for both films. His additional credits include In the Valley of Elah and Detroit.
