Fresh off his Oscar nomination forElvis,Austin Butlerwill star in and produce the epic crime dramaCity on Firefor Sony 3000. It will be based on the first in a trilogy ofDon Winslownovels.Deadline reportsthat Butler will star as aspiring New England gangster Danny Ryan, who matures from street thug to ruthless gang leader as he battles rival gangs, the local police, and the federal government.
In the book, which spans decades and draws inspiration from the epics of Ancient Greek literature, a modern-day Helen of Troy brings the two reigning crime families of New England, one Irish and one Italian, into an all-out war.City on Firewas published last year; the sequel,City of Dreams, will be published later this month. The concluding book of the trilogy,City in Ruins, is forthcoming. Sony hopes to adapt the entire trilogy. Says Winslow, “I’ve had a number of conversations with Austin about this trilogy that I’ve been working on for almost thirty years of my life and I have been deeply impressed by his commitment to playing Danny Ryan as well as his passion to also produce the three films.” Winslow’s works have been adapted twice for the screen previously; the 2007Paul WalkerfilmThe Death and Life of Bobby Z, andOliver Stone’s 2012 misfireSavages. He co-created the short-lived NBC seriesUC: Undercover; FX also intends to make hisCartel Trilogyinto a series.
Butler began his career as a teen actor, appearing on the sitcomsZoey 101andLife Unexpected. He subsequently starred in theSex and the CityprequelThe Carrie Diariesand the fantasy seriesThe Shannara Chroniclesbefore taking on the prominent role ofCharles MansoncultistTex WatsoninQuentin Tarantino’sOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood. He then landed the coveted title role ofElvis PresleyinBaz Luhrmann’sElvis, which earned him widespread acclaim and a bevy of award nominations, as well as the lingering traces ofPresley’s distinctive accent. He can next be seen inDune: Part Twoas the villainous Feyd-Rautha, inJeff Nichols’The Bikeriders, and in theSteven Spielberg-produced WWII miniseriesMasters of the Air.
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City on Firewill be produced by Butler,David Heyman(Barbie,Wonka), andShane Salerno(Avatar: The Way of Water).Elizabeth GablerandMarisa Paivaare overseeing the project for Sony.
