Chris O’Dowd is finalizing a deal and Ray Romano is in negotiations to topline Get Shorty, Epix’s 10-episode original series from MGM TV. The hourlong dark comedy is a reimagining of Elmore Leonard’s 1990 bestselling thriller comedy novel previously adapted by MGM with Barry Sonnefeld’s 1995 feature starring John Travolta, Danny DeVito, Gene Hackman and Rene Russo.

Written by Davey Holmes, Get Shorty centers on Miles Daly (O’Dowd), who works as muscle for a murderous crime ring in Nevada. For the sake of his daughter, he attempts to change professions and become a movie producer, laundering money through a Hollywood film. But instead of leaving the criminal world behind, he accidentally brings it with him to Los Angeles. Romano would play Rick, a washed up producer of low quality films who becomes Miles’ partner and guide through the maze of Hollywood.

Miles and Rick are versions of the characters played in the 1995 movie by Travolta and Hackman, respectively.

O’Dowd, repped by WME and 3 Arts, previously starred on the HBO comedy series Family Tree and recurred on the network’s Girls. He will next be seen in the feature Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

The Emmy-winning former Everybody Loves Raymond star Romano, repped by ICM Partners and manager Rory Rosegarten, is coming off a starring role in HBO’s drama Vinyl. Before that, he co-starred on NBC’s Parenthood and toplined TNT dramedy Men of a Certain Age, which he also co-created.

The 1995 Get Shorty movie was received well by critics and did well at the box office. Travolta won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor-Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. It spawned a feature sequel, Be Cool, which came out in 2005.

Get Shorty is set to debut in summer 2017, with production slated to begin this fall. It is the third original series for Epix — a joint venture between Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM. Get Shorty joins the upcoming Berlin Station, from Paramount TV, and Graves, from Lionsgate TV. The three series will appear across Epix’s channels, Epix On Demand, Epix.com and TV Everywhere platforms.

Premium cable network EPIX(R) has set the premiere date for its original series Get Shorty. The 10-episode dark comedy from MGM Television, based in part on the 1990 best-selling novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard, will debut on EPIX Sunday, August 13 at 10:00PM ET/PT, 9:00PM CT. The cast, led by Screen Actors Guild Award(R) and BAFTA TV Award nominee Chris O'Dowd ("Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children," Sapphires, Bridesmaids) and multiple Emmy(R) winner Ray Romano ("Everybody Loves Raymond," "Men of a Certain Age," "Parenthood"), includes Sean Bridgers ("Rectify," Room); Lidia Porto (Horrible Bosses 2); Megan Stevenson ("Review"); Goya Robles (11:55); Lucy Walters ("Power") and Carolyn Dodd (The Adventures of Catty Wompus). O'Dowd plays Miles Daly, a hitman from Nevada who tries to become a movie producer in Hollywood as a means to leave his criminal past behind and win back his recently-estranged family. There, he meets Rick Moreweather (Romano), a washed up producer of low quality films who is desperately hanging on to the rungs of Hollywood relevancy and begrudgingly becomes Miles' partner and guide through the maze of show business. Along with his criminal associate Louis (Bridgers), Miles attempts to keep his worlds from colliding as he balances the demands of filmmaking while keeping the suspicions of the crime ring's chief - and production bankroll - Amara (Porto) and her dangerous nephew, Yago (Robles) at bay. Also involved in the production is ambitious studio executive April Adams (Stevenson), who started in the business as Rick's assistant, as well as Miles' beloved daughter Emma (Dodd) - despite objections from Miles' estranged wife, Katie (Walters).

PRINCIPAL CAST INFORMATION:
· Carolyn Dodd as Emma
· Chris O'Dowd as Miles Daly
· Goya Robles as Yago
· Lidia Porto as Amara
· Lucy Walters as Katie
· Megan Stevenson as April
· Ray Romano as Rick
· Sarah Stiles as Gladys
· Sean Bridgers as Louis

CREW INFORMATION:
· Adam Arkin as CO-EP
· Allen Coulter as EP/DIR (Pilot)
· Davey Holmes as CRTR/EP
· Elmore Leonard as BOOK