IFC is going back to Eric Jonrosh's literary well.
The cable network has ordered a second installment of its Spoils franchise with a six-part miniseries, The Spoils Before Dying. Like Spoils of Babylon, Dying will be presented as a faux book-to-series adaptation from Will Ferrell's fictional author Jonrosh and will be produced by Funny or Die. The entry, which has not begun casting, will premiere in summer 2015.
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This iteration will be based on Jonrosh's first best-selling novel, a detective story that takes viewers into the seedy underbelly of the 1950s jazz scene. It follows a jazz pianist turned private eye who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation that spins out of control and leads him down paths — romantic and otherwise — he never expected. Ferrell will once again executive produce alongside Adam McKay, Matt Piedmont, Andrew Steele and Nate Young, with Steele and Piedmont returning as writers.
"Hang on to your hats America! This one's going to be totally bonkers!" quipped Ferrell in a statement Monday, with producing partner McKay adding: "The first Spoils miniseries beat the NFL and Big Bang Theory in ratings (adults: ages 74-92) and changed the way Americans talk, think and prepare meat. We anticipate this new series from Jonrosh with Steele and Piedmont becoming the most watched television event in the history of Earth."
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In actuality, the first Spoils failed to draw significant ratings for the niche comedy net, but what it did do was help establish IFC as a desirable destination for producers and talent alike. What's more, as IFC president Jennifer Caserta noted in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at the time, it generated the kind of "visibility" and "critical attention" her network covets. Bowing earlier this year, the six-parter showcased a cast that included Ferrell along with Jessica Alba, Val Kilmer, Tobey Maguire, Haley Joel Osment, Tim Robbins, Michael Sheen and Kristen Wiig, among others.
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