Slightly over one year ago today,HBO decided to passonCodes of Conduct, a TV series from12 Years a SlavedirectorSteve McQueen. McQueen was set to direct all six episodes of the series, which was “an exploration of a young African-American man’s experience entering New York high society, with a past that may not be what it seems.” The show was set to star newcomerDevon Terrellalong withPaul Dano,Helena Bonham Carter, andRebecca Hall.
While McQueen has moved on to direct the heist thrillerWidows,Codes of Conductis still alive. According toScreen Daily[viaThe Playlist], the production company behind the show, See-Saw, is eager to find a new home for the show. “It’s a story that’s very important to Steve to tell and we’re very emotionally involved in it,” co-founderIain Canningsaid.
While a pilot has reportedly been shot, it’s not clear if McQueen would want to have the same level of involvement, start over, and possibly recast. Additionally, that involvement would probably be determined by the amount of funding and support a potential distributor could provide. For example, Netflix could pour a lot more money intoCodes of Conductthan Annapurna, but Annapurna is looking to make a splash.
Whatever the case may be, it’s a good idea to be in the Steve McQueen business, and hopefully a new network will step up to the plate and HBO’s loss will be another channel or streaming service’s gain.
In the meantime, McQueen should be getting ready to roll onWidowslater this year withViola Davis,Cynthia Erivo, andMichelle Rodriguezset to star. The plot is based on the 2002 British miniseries of the same name, and the film revolves around four armed robbers who are killed in a failed heist attempt, only to have their widows step up to finish the job.
