Ethan Hawke to Star in Limited Series ‘The Whites’ in Development at Showtime

Ethan Hawke will star in and executive produce a limited series currently in development at Showtime, Variety has confirmed.

The series is titled “The Whites” and is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Price. It begins with the idea that every detective is haunted by their White Whale, the perpetrator who got away because the justice system failed. Billy Graves (Hawke), once a rising star in his department and former member of a group of well-respected cops called the “Wild Geese,” walks away from NYPD Homicide and joins the Nightwatch division, where his cases end when he clocks out— but his past comes calling when a seemingly straightforward murder case involving a White Whale unfolds, threatening his career, enduring friendships, and family.

Jez Butterworth, a Tony Award-winner whose past screenwriting credits include “Ford v. Ferrari” and “Spectre,” will write and executive produce. Hawke executive produces under his Under the Influence banner along with and Ryan Hawke. Price will also executive produce. Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, and Nena Rodrigue also executive produce via T-Street. The show is a Civic Center Media production in association with MRC Television.

The series brings Hawke back to Showtime, as he previously starred in the limited series “The Good Lord Bird” for the premium cabler. Hawke starred in that series as American radical abolitionist John Brown. The show was well-received by critics upon its release in 2020, with Hawke picking up a Golden Globe nomination for his work.

Hawke also recently starred in the Marvel series “Moon Knight” for Disney+. He is primarily known for his film work, having earned four Oscar nominations throughout his career. Those were for: best supporting actor for “Boyhood,” best supporting actor for “Training Day,” best adapted screenplay for “Before Sunset,” and best adapted screenplay for “Before Midnight.”

Hawke is repped by CAA, MGMT Entertainment, ID and lawyer George Sheanshang.

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