Jeff Daniels is currently in talks to take the lead male part in Aaron Sorkin’s new HBO drama pilot, Deadline are reporting. The as-yet-unnamed pilot would see Daniels playing news anchor Will McCallister,
“who has his own cable show, his female executive producer and his staff. Will is described as a famous cable newsman of the Anderson Cooper/Brian Williams mold [sic] who is smart and talented guy but just a pain in the ass to work with and for.”
The plot reminds me of last year’s Morning Glory, starring Rachel McAdams and Harrison Ford, with Ford’s role being similar to what Daniels would play here. The film was a modest success at the box office, though I personally felt it deserved more attention than it received. Because of this, I must admit I am a little sceptical of how well a similar plot could work for Sorkin and Daniels. But I remain hopeful, because they have both demonstrated over the years how incredibly capable they are on both the big and small screens.
Recent Academy Award-winner Sorkin has had a very successful career in both film and television, creating The West Wing and Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip for TV, and wrote A Few Good Men and The American President, as well as last year’s Oscar success, The Social Network.
Jeff Daniels has shown his diverse talents throughout his career, starring in everything from family films 101 Dalmatians and Fly Away Home to blockbusters like Speed to indie films like The Squid And The Whale. And always, he demonstrates how strong his acting capabilities are, never missing a beat.
With both Daniels and Sorkin having great successes in the past, I hope that this new pilot will continue in a similar style. Having two big names – especially Sorkin’s, after his award for Best Screenplay – attached to the project certainly helps, so it is just a matter now of getting an excellent script written and a brilliant cast to support Daniels’ lead. More news as we get it.
