Showtime Orders Drama Pilot ‘City on a Hill’

Kevin Bacon (“The Following,” “Mystic River”) and Aldis Hodge (“Underground”) will star in the network’s new one-hour drama pilot “City on a Hill.” The project will be executive produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and Jennifer Todd (“Jason Bourne,” “Memento”) for Pearl Street Films, written and executive produced by Chuck MacLean (“Boston Strangler”), and directed and executive produced by Michael Cuesta (“Homeland,” “American Assassin”).

Produced by Showtime, “City on a Hill” is based on an original idea by Affleck and MacLean. The logline: In the early 90s, Boston was rife with violent criminals emboldened by local law enforcement agencies in which corruption and racism was the norm, and then it all suddenly changed. “City on a Hill” is a fictional account of what was called the “Boston Miracle.” The change agent is District Attorney “Decourcy Ward” (Hodge) who comes from Brooklyn and forms an unlikely alliance with a corrupt yet venerated FBI veteran, “Jackie Rhodes” (Bacon), who is deeply invested in maintaining the status quo. Together they take on a family of armored car robbers from Charlestown in a case that grows to encompass and eventually upend Boston’s city-wide criminal justice system.

James Mangold (“Logan,” “Walk The Line”) will also serve as executive producer. Bacon will serve as co-executive producer. Production will begin in Boston later this year.