GANGS OF NEW YORK: Martin Scorsese and Miramax Developing TV Series

Gangs of New York TV Show Coming. Martin Scorsese, director of the 2002 film Gangs of New York, is adapting that film to the small screen with the help of Miramax Films. The TV series will “follow the story of the movie and draw on events surrounding organized gangs at the turn of the 20th century and shortly thereafter, not only in New York but in such cities as Chicago” so fans might see Bill “the Butcher” Cutting and Amsterdam Vallon on screen again.

Martin Scorsese had this to say about the upcoming TV series:

“This time and era of America’s history and heritage is rich with characters and stories that we could not fully explore in a two-hour film,” Scorsese said in a statement. “A television series allows us the time and creative freedom to bring this colorful world, and all the implications it had and still does on our society, to life.”

To get a better idea of where the series will venture, take a gander at the issues the book that inspired the film delved into:

The Gangs of New York: An Informal History of the Underworld is a 1928 non-fiction book by Herbert Asbury about New York gangs in the 19th century, and was loosely adapted into the film Gangs of New York by director Martin Scorsese. It details the rise and fall of gangs prior to the domination of the mafia and Prohibition of the 1920s. First published in 1928, Herbert Asbury’s whirlwind tour through the low-life of nineteenth-century New York has become an indispensable classic of urban history.

Focusing on the saloon halls, gambling dens, and winding alleys of the Bowery and the notorious Five Points district, The Gangs of New York dramatically evokes the destitution and shocking violence of a turbulent era, when colorfully named criminals like Dandy John Dolan, Bill the Butcher, and Hell-Cat Maggie lurked in the shadows, and infamous gangs like the Plug Uglies, the Dead Rabbits, and the Bowery Boys ruled the streets. A rogues gallery of prostitutes, pimps, poisoners, pickpockets, murderers, and thieves, The Gangs of New York is a dramatic and entertaining glimpse at a city’s dark past.

Richard Nanula, Miramax chairman, had this to say about the upcoming TV series:

Said Miramax chairman Richard Nanula: “No one better exemplifies what the new Miramax is and will be better than Martin Scorsese. His dedication to quality and the art of storytelling continues to excite everyone that works with him and watches his films and television programs. We could not think of a better partner for this project than the creator of the wonderful film on which it is based.”

On Miramax:

Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. Founded in 1979 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein and headquartered in New York City and Cambridge, Massachusetts, Miramax was a leading independent film motion picture distribution and production company before it was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 1993. The Weinsteins operated Miramax with more creative and financial independence than any other division of Disney, until 2005 when they decided to leave the company and founded The Weinstein Company. Miramax was sold by Disney to Filmyard Holdings, a joint venture of Colony Capital, Tutor-Saliba Corporation, and Qatar Investment Authority in 2010, ending Disney’s 17-year involvement with the studio.

I actually read the script for the original film before the film was released. I did not like the music in the film and its third act had problems: the voice-over and summary aspect were awful. The script had many aspects that should have made it into the film.

The Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio Gangs of New York photographs:

Leonardo DiCaprio Gangs of New York

Leonardo DiCaprio Gangs of New York

Daniel Day-Lewis Gangs of New York

Since Martin Scorsese already has a working relationship with HBO through Boardwalk Empire, Gang of New York will probably land there. Boardwalk Empire could actually be that TV series’ lead in.

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Source: Wikipedia, Variety