According to Indiewire, the two least surprising people in the world might be collaborating on a “noir-ish crime show set in L.A.” with a “1950s milieu.” Assuming you didn’t read the headline and guessed that the two people are director David Fincher and L.A. Confidential author James Ellroy, congratulations! You figured out the very obvious puzzle!
Indiewire says nothing is officially in the works yet, but the ever-citable “sources close to the project” claim that the two are currently in talks with HBO, because the network could probably use another high-profile gritty crime drama during awards season. Indiewire also notes that Fincher and Ellroy have long been “mutual admirers” of each other, with Fincher almost directing the 2006 adaptation of Ellroy’s The Black Dahlia novel, and Ellroy appearing on one of the commentary tracks for Fincher’s Zodiac. It’s also worth pointing out that Ellroy is familiar with the types of shows that HBO makes, with him once referring to Deadwood as “intermittently quite wonderful” and The Wire as “bullshit,” so it’s a safe bet that if this project ever actually happens, it won’t be anything like The Wire. If anything, it will be like every other noir-ish crime thing set in L.A. with a 1950 milieu that Ellroy has ever done.