Every generation sees a gangster movie that defines an era and spawns countless imitators. The 1970s had The Godfather, the 1980s had Goodfellas, and the 2000s had The Departed. Martin Scorsese's 2006 Irish mob classic has become an iconic aspect of silver screen history, and that legacy may soon even bleed into the small screen. That's right folks, The Departed might finally get the TV treatment that we have been craving for the last decade.
A new report from Deadline states that a drama based on The Departed is currently in the works over at Amazon. Although the project remains in the earliest stages of development, it looks like the potential drama will move away from the realm of the Irish mafia in Boston to instead focus on warring Latino gangs and cops in Chicago. Regardless of the change in criminal enterprise, the project will apparently place a heavy emphasis on concepts of treachery, undercover police work, and mole hunts. After all, that's what made The Departed so wholly unique and enjoyable in the first place.
The legacy of The Departed (itself a remake of the Chinese thriller, Infernal Affairs) cannot be understated. Hitting the scene in 2006, the tale of undercover cops, Irish mobsters, and betrayal enamored audiences and critics alike, performing very well at the Oscars with a respectable four wins out of five nominations. Beyond its critical accolades, the film also proved itself an immense financial success, grossing $290 million on a $90 million budget. It holds a firm place in the cinematic hall of fame, and now it seems that Amazon wants to capitalize on that legacy.
Amazon has made some serious moves over the course of the last week to beef up its original TV selection. In addition to The Departed, the streaming platform also officially picked up the Tom Clancy-inspired Jack Ryan TV series-- fronted by The Office star, John Krasinski. Recognizable franchises like these could go a long way towards allowing Amazon to become an even more serious contender in the current streaming war against competitors like Netflix. It's an arms race in which audiences like us reap the benefits.
These projects represent the latest in a long line of movie franchises that have made the transition to the small screen. As television has become a more and more prestigious medium for storytelling, networks and studios have finally realized that adapting classic franchises to TV en masse can afford them entirely new ways to flesh out classic movie narratives. With projects like Lethal Weapon, Frequency, and The Exorcist hitting the small screen this coming fall, it's abundantly clear there's a booming market and audience for silver screen icons to make this sort of jump, and few properties seem riper for such treatment than The Departed.
CinemaBlend will keep you up to date with any and all details related to the Departed drama on Amazon as more information becomes available to us. For now, make sure to check out our comprehensive fall TV premiere schedule and mark your calendars accordingly.
