Michael Keaton is heading to the small screen as star and executive producer on Dopesick, an eight-episode limited series which has received a straight-to-season order from Hulu.
Created by Danny Strong (The Handmaid’s Tale) and based upon the bestselling book by Beth Macy, Dopesick is described as “an ambitious, harrowing, and compelling look into the epicenter of America’s struggle with Opioid addiction. which takes viewers from a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA, and to the opulence of ‘one percenter’ Big Pharma Manhattan.”
Deadline reports that Keaton will play Samuel Finnix, “an old-school doctor who approaches his practice with kindness and compassion, but finds himself embroiled in Big Pharma’s deadly secret.”
“The minute we met with Danny Strong about Beth Macy’s bestselling book, we immediately knew it was the kind of groundbreaking series we just had to bring to Hulu,” said Hulu’s SVP of originals Craig Erwich. “Danny’s unflinching and deeply compelling take on America’s opioid crisis will bring to life one of the most important stories impacting our culture. Add to that the cinematic vision of Barry Levinson and the extraordinary talent of Michael Keaton, and we’ve got an undeniable series that perfectly embodies our Hulu Originals brand.”
Dopesick will be directed by Barry Levinson (Rain Man), while Strong and Keaton will executive produce alongside Warren Littlefield (The Handmaid’s Tale).
