With Entourage wrapping up this year in its eighth and final season, series showrunner Doug Ellin is preparing for his next TV project and Ed Burns has been cast to star in the pilot, which follows a group of men who are a bit older than the Entourage guys and at different life and career stages. Ed Burns has been cast in the lead for the pilot.
According to Variety, the pilot Ellin’s working on for HBO is called 40 and it follows four life-long friends whose personal and professional lives differ. Burns has been cast to play a “Wall Street maven” who’s facing a career crisis when the bank where he’s worked for two decades goes under. They’re beginning the casting process for the other roles soon.
Burns appeared in Entourage previously and Ellin had him in mind for the lead in 40 when he wrote the pilot.
"We're both Long Island guys," Ellin said. "We all know these guys who make a little money, move to Westchester and now are rolling in a world that they can no longer afford."
Ellin has apparently had the script for 40 written but put it aside to devote time to seeing Entourage through to the end. The premise for this show actually sounds really promising and even more interesting than Entourage. While the story of a group of friends dealing with the perks and challenges that come with celebrity life was interesting and fun to see play out, it sounds like 40’s men could have a bit more depth, with a few more years and plenty more life experience under their belts. We’ll have to wait and see who’s cast in the other roles and whether or not HBO gives this one the green light.
