Directed by Steve McQueen | Country of origin United States | |
Genre Drama
Mystery
Crime drama Created by Steve McQueen
Matthew Michael Carnahan Written by Steve McQueen
Matthew Michael Carnahan Starring Devon Terrell
Paul Dano
Helena Bonham Carter
Rebecca Hall | ||
Codes of Conduct was a proposed American television drama miniseries for HBO created and written by Steve McQueen and Matthew Michael Carnahan. The series was to have starred Devon Terrell, Paul Dano, Helena Bonham Carter, and Rebecca Hall. The pilot was directed by McQueen. On March 20, 2015, HBO picked up Codes of Conduct as a six-episode limited series. It was reported on February 24, 2016, that HBO had scrapped the project.
Contents
Premise
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series "...centers on a young African-American man with a mysterious past, who emerges on the scene in New York high society".
Development and production
On October 29, 2013, it was announced that Steve McQueen and screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan were developing a drama at HBO, with the men set to be co-writing the untitled project, which was described as "an exploration of a young African-American man's experience entering New York City". In addition to McQueen and Carnahan, it was announced that the project is also being executive produced by Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Russell Simmons.
Nellie Andreeva and Mike Fleming, Jr. of Deadline reported that the project has been described by some as, "Six Degrees of Separation meets Shame".
During August 2014, it was confirmed that McQueen and casting director Cindy Tolan were holding casting calls in New York City. On October 14, 2014, it was announced that HBO had ordered the pilot episode for the project, now titled Codes of Conduct, to be sent into production.
Additionally on October 14, Devon Terrell was confirmed as the male lead, Beverly Snow. In the casting announcement, McQueen was full of praise for the actor, calling Terrell an "extraordinary actor". McQueen added, "Although you're trying to find something you recognize, it's more about finding something you're surprised by. Devon had this quality. It was no easy task casting the character of Beverly Snow and, with the help of HBO, we left no stone unturned. This was a 10-month intense process in which we came across many talented actors, but only one Beverly."
On November 21, 2014, Paul Dano was confirmed to co-star opposite Terrell in the project, portraying Jared Rotmensen, or "Rowdy Rotty", who has been described as "a hip yet altruistic entrepreneur who brings Beverly into his fold". On December 4, 2014, Helena Bonham Carter and Rebecca Hall were later confirmed to be a part of the film's supporting cast as "two privileged members of New York high society". Carter will play Esther Kaufmann, a divorced mother of two adult sons who is now "living life on her own terms" and Hall will be playing Rebecca Rotmensen, who is the oldest child of a New York billionaire, and is billed as "Snow's 'rival'" and "his equal in guile and ruthlessness".
It was reported that HBO was "fast-tracking" the project due to McQueen's schedule. Principal photography for the pilot was confirmed to have begun in New York in November 2014, with an expected 2015 release. HBO officially picked up the series on March 20, 2015. On February 24, 2016, it was reported that the series had been cancelled.