HBO is prepping for a (funny) war.
The premium cable network has handed out a pilot order to The Brink, a half-hour dark comedy from executive producers Jerry Weintraub, Jay Roach and Roberto Benabib.
Brink focuses on a geopolitical crisis and its effect on three disparate and desperate men: Walter Hollander, U.S. secretary of state, Alex Coppins, a lowly foreign service officer and Zeke Callahan, an ace Navy fighter pilot. These three compromised souls must pull through the chaos around them in order to save the planet from World War III.
Weeds alum Benabib and his brother, Kim Benabib, will pen the script. Roberto Benabib, Weintraub and Roach will executive produce. Kim Benabib will also be credited as a co-EP credit on the comedy.
For Roach, the deal continues his relationship with HBO, where he is under a two-year overall deal. He previously directed and exec produced Emmy-winning TV movies Game Change and Recount for the premium cable network, collecting statuettes for his directing work on both.
The comedy marks the latest collaboration for HBO with Weintraub, who is also developing a Benghazi movie for the cabler. The prolific producer's Behind the Candelabra is also up for outstanding mini or movie at Sunday's Emmys.
Brink is HBO's second comedy pilot, joining the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson vehicle Pain & Gain. Should either (or both) move forward, it would join a comedy lineup that already includes Girls and Veep. The future of Family Tree remains undecided and Eastbound & Down will conclude after its upcoming fourth season. A return of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, meanwhile, remains up to star Larry David.
Weintraub is repped by CAA; Roach is with WME, Mosaic and Behr & Abramson; Roberto Benabib (Ally McBeal) I s with CAA and Jackoway Tyerman.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
