As if religious-themed miniseries couldn't be any hotter, Fox is teaming with two-time Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet to develop 7 Deadly Sins.
Mamet will executive produce the seven-part mini, writing and directing the first episode with plans to pen at least two more, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
The limited series is based on the seven deadly sins -- lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride -- which form the backdrop for a tapestry of interconnected stories about the human condition.
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Steve McPherson will executive produce the 20th Century Fox Television and Lionsgate TV entry via his overall deal with the latter studio.
7 Deadly Sins marks Mamet's latest foray for the small screen. His recent credits include HBO's TV movie Phil Spector and CBS' drama The Unit. On the theater side, his credits include Glengarry Glen Ross, State and Main and Hoffa.
For McPherson, the project marks the former ABC Entertainment topper's latest sale this development season. The producer also set up Ball & Chain, a drama from Lionsgate at Fox; Amanda Knox-type drama Guilt, also at Fox via Lionsgate; comedy Sister Whipped at CBS via Universal Television; an untitled comedy from Kate Gersten set up at Fox through Lionsgate; and a handful of other projects, including a Fox comedy pilot with The Big Bang Theory's Johnny Galecki producing.
7 Deadly Sins arrives as religious-themed minis continue to be hot among broadcast and cable networks following History's ratings hit The Bible. CBS recently picked up Mark Burnett and Roma Downey's mini The Dovekeepers, which centers on the siege of Masada. Reality guru Burnett (whose Survivor was just renewed for two additional cycles) and wife Downey also recently set up 12-episode mini A.D. -- the follow-up to their The Bible -- at NBC.
Fox, meanwhile, has been looking at miniseries as a way to bridge the traditional fall, midseason and summer schedules as the network looks to draw eyeballs and awards seasons buzz year-round. The network has already ordered event series 24: Live Another Day and Wayward Pines and has several others in development.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
