Michael Keaton Set To Star in an Opioid Addiction Series For Hulu Titled DOPESICK
Michael Keaton is set to star in a new series titled Dopesick for Hulu, which just ordered an eight-episode series run. The series is based on Beth Macy’s bestselling book, which deals with America’s struggle with opioid addiction.
Barry Levinson is set to direct the project, which was written by Empire co-creator/exec producer Danny Strong. The series is described as an “ambitious, harrowing, and compelling look into the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction. It takes viewers from a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA, and to the opulence of ‘one percenter’ Big Pharma Manhattan. The unsparing yet deeply human portraits of the various affected families and their intersecting stories hold up a mirror to where America is right now, while shining a hopeful light on the heroes battling the worst drug epidemic in American history.”
Keaton will take on the role of Samuel Finnix, an “old-school doctor who approaches his practice with kindness and compassion, but finds himself embroiled in Big Pharma’s deadly secret.”
Fox 21 President Bert Salke said in a statement:
“Although we were sharply aware of and empathetic to the horrifying pain caused by the Opioid crisis for millions in this country, we were blown away when Warren Littlefield showed us Beth Macy’s book Dopesick. Consequently, Danny Strong had been crafting his own telling of the opiate epidemic and in typical Danny form, it was mesmerizing,”
Hulu EVP of originals Craig Erwich added:
“The minute we met with Danny Strong about Beth Macy’s bestselling book, we immediately knew it was the kind of groundbreaking series we just had to bring to Hulu. Danny’s unflinching and deeply compelling take on America’s opioid crisis will bring to life one of the most important stories impacting our culture. Add to that the cinematic vision of Barry Levinson and the extraordinary talent of Michael Keaton, and we’ve got an undeniable series that perfectly embodies our Hulu Originals brand.”
Strong offered his thoughts on the series, saying:
“I’m so thrilled to tell this story with a company as bold and as daring as Hulu. The opioid crisis is one of the most important stories of our time and I’m honored to not only pay tribute to its victims but to shine a light on the heroes that fought back. Laws were broken and many lies were told. The system failed us and Dopesick is going to show everyone how it all happened.”
This is sure to end up being a powerful series. Opioid addiction is a super serious problem and I have friends who have struggled with it. It’s good to see a series like this bringing awareness to the issue.
Source: Deadline