Scorsese Goes Under The Boardwalk (Empire) With HBO

It seems that HBO wants to be in the Martin Scorsese business. Variety reports that the network has greenlit Boardwalk Empire, a period drama set in 1920s Atlantic City and produced by Scorsese. The show is based on the book of the same name by Nelson Johnson.

HBO has ordered 11 episodes of the show, which will star Steve Buscemi as curiously named politician/gangster Nucky Thompson. As everyone knows, the only thing better than gangsters is early-20th-century gangsters. Add in Scorsese's name recognition and credibility, and Boardwalk could be just the thing to fill that nagging, Sopranos-shaped void in HBO’s schedule. And it doesn't hurt that the show was created by Sopranos writer Terrence Winter.

Scorsese directed the show’s pilot episode and will stay on as an executive producer. The show starts filming this fall, and will likely premiere sometime next year.