NBC has hopped on board a new cop drama starring Ethan Hawke and Vincent D’Onofrio, Deadline is reporting.
Entitled “Blue Tilt”, the project will see Hawke and D’Onofrio playing veteran homicide detectives, one of whom is maried and one of whom is divorced. The plot will highlight the men’s attempts to balance their high-stress jobs with family obligations.
“Blue Tilt” is a police term that refers to homicide detectives who must be put under psychiatric observation when the grisly and demanding nature of their work begins affecting their mental health.
Hawke and D’Onofrio, who helped shape the material with former “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” showrunner Chris Brancato after he brought the initial idea to their attention, will also serve as executive-producers along with Brancato. NBC, who acquired the project with a production commitment, are looking to shoot the pilot episode later this year in New York.
If picked up to series, the project would mark Hawke’s first turn as a series regular on a TV show. D’Onofrio previously worked with Brancato on “Law & Order: CI”, in which he starred as Detective Robert Goren for several seasons.
Brancato began his career as a writer on “Beverly Hills, 90210” in the early ’90s, before going on to create the now-defunct Sci-Fi Channel series “First Wave”. He also served as a writer/producer on the short-lived NBC series “Boomtown”.