Amazon picks up family comedy from Bryan Cranston and Greg Mottola
Bryan Cranston’s long since returned to TV, having sold Amazon on his Sneaky Pete series—which he also stars in—as well as a Philip K. Dick adaptation, Electric Dreams. Of course, most diehards are holding out for more Heisenberg or Hal; and while the odds are still pretty long for the former, Cranston’s said he’s up for more Malcolm In The Middle. He hasn’t called for a family meeting with Frankie Muniz and Jane Kaczmarek yet, but the Breaking Bad star is venturing back into family comedies soon. Deadline reports he’s sold Amazon on an adaptation of The Dangerous Book For Boys.
Cranston’s teamed up with Greg Mottola for the comedy, which picked up a six-episode, straight-to-series order from Amazon. Based on Conn and Hal Iggulden’s book of the same name, The Dangerous Book For Boys will follow a group of brothers, including Wyatt, who “are coming to terms with the death of their dad, Patrick, a wonderful, whimsical inventor who touched the lives of everyone who knew him.” Their late father leaves them with a copy of the titular book, which Wyatt uses to venture to a fantasy world where he gets to talk to his dad and learn valuable life lessons. Cranston and Mottola have written two episodes so far, including the pilot, which the latter is directing along with the rest of the series.
This is a huge deal for Cranston—not only is this project the third series he’s landed at Amazon, but it’s the culmination of a years-long journey to adapt the book, which he bought the rights for in 2014. There’s currently no word on when The Dangerous Book For Boys will hit the streaming platform.