Showtime Orders Pilot for Ben Affleck, Matt Damon Drama

Gavin O'Connor on board to direct.

By Alex Osborn

City on a Hill, a new Boston-set drama executive produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, has received a pilot order by Showtime.

The one-hour pilot, written by Chuck MacLean (Boston Strangler), will be directed by Gavin O'Connor (The Accountant), who's also on board as an executive producer. Showtime is producing City on a Hill, which is based on an original concept by Affleck and MacLean.

City on a Hill takes place in the early 90s and tells a fictional account of the "Boston Miracle," during a time when corruption and racism were commonplace. The story centers around an African-American District Attorney from Brooklyn who ends up working with a corrupt but respected FBI vet on a case that turns Boston's criminal justice system on its head.

"Chuck wrote a pressure-cooker of a script steeped in the tribal codes of a Shakespeare play—family, blood, betrayal, honor," O'Connor said of the project. "His take on the ties that bind is handled with a deep honesty and insight. I see the show as a brawling thriller—and an intimate family drama—played out on the rough streets of Boston."

In addition to Affleck, Damon, and O'Connor, James Mangold (Logan), Jennifer Todd (Jason Bourne) will executive produce City on a Hill for Pearl Street Films.

Affleck has been in the headlines quite a bit lately, with reports that Warner Bros. is planning his exit as Batman from the DCEU. Affleck has since cast doubt on the rumors that he no longer wants to star as the Caped Crusader, saying at San Diego Comic-Con, "I am the luckiest guy in the world.... It's a great time in the DC universe. I think you’ll see why I'm so excited to be Batman."

Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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