Damon Lindelof's HBO Pilot The Leftovers Casts Justin Theroux

Damon Lindelof's HBO pilot now has its leading male. Justin Theroux is set to star in the TV adaptation of Tom Perrotta's The Leftovers. The story is actually split between a number of characters, but if the adaptation sticks close to the book, and this project goes to series, we can probably expect to see plenty of Theroux in this drama.

The Leftovers takes place in the aftermath of an event that sees a sizable portion of the human population vanishing into thin air. People think it might be the Rapture, a religious event in which all good souls are whisked off to heaven, leaving the "leftovers" behind on earth. The cause of this rapturous event is unknown, and while that's part of the mystery of the story, the focus is really on the people left behind and their efforts to move forward, grieve and adjust. The setting of the book isn't quite apocalyptic, but this is a global event and one that's left people confused and changed.

Among them is Kevin Garvey, the character EW says is set to be played by Theroux in Lindelof's pilot. In the book, Garvey's the new mayor of the town of Mapleton. He's intent on getting his little community through this tough ordeal, though things in his own household aren't very good. His wife left him to join a cult-like following of people called the Guilty Remnant. His son dropped out of college to join the ranks of a prophet named Holy Wayne. And his teen daughter is still at home, but like everyone else among the leftover population, she's not the same girl she was before the Rapture.

The Leftovers is very much a people story, exploring the aftermath of this strange event from the perspective of a few different characters. This is the first piece of news we've heard about the adaptation in a while, and it's an exciting one, when factoring in the lead role and Justin Theroux. Theroux's credits include Wanderlust, a recurring role on Parks and Recreation, Tropic Thunder and HBO's John Adams. And he's engaged to Jennifer Aniston. So there's that.

Those who want to check out Perrotta's book can find it at Amazon.

Kelly West
Assistant Managing Editor

Kelly joined CinemaBlend as a freelance TV news writer in 2006 and went on to serve as the site’s TV Editor before moving over to other roles on the site. At present, she’s an Assistant Managing Editor who spends much of her time brainstorming and editing feature content on the site. She an expert in all things Harry Potter, books from a variety of genres (sci-fi, mystery, horror, YA, drama, romance -- anything with a great story and interesting characters.), watching Big Brother, frequently rewatching The Office, listening to Taylor Swift, and playing The Sims.