Finally unleashing the dead-eyed anti-hero that’s always lurked just beneath the surface of his snarky sitcom persona, Jason Bateman is getting into the lucrative crime drama trade. The actor and director has signed on to produce and star in Ozark, a new series that’s apparently about money laundering in the ol’ Missouri boondocks. (Here’s a free tip on backwoods financial skullduggery for the Arrested Development star: There’s always money in the moonshine stand.)
Bateman will produce the series for Aggregate and MRC, the studio behind Netflix’s political thriller House Of Cards (as well as Krod Mandoon And The Flaming Sword Of Fire, a fact we bring up only to remind you there was once a show on TV called Krod Mandoon And The Flaming Sword Of Fire). Besides starring in and producing the series, Bateman will also direct; his previous credits behind the camera include a number of TV episodes—including Arrested Development’s “Afternoon Delight”—and the spelling bee comedy Bad Words.