HBO Orders Up Pilot From 'Bullhead' Director Michael Roskam, Co-Produced By Michael Mann

nullAn Oscar nomination will open up some doors, and for Michael Roskam and Matthias Schoenaerts, director and star of Best Foreign Film contender "Bullhead," that's starting to happen. Schoenaerts has lined up an intriguing slate of films including another great performance in Jacques Audiard's upcoming "Rust And Bone," along with roles in Guillaume Canet's English language debut "Blood Ties," the thriller "The Treatment" and uh, "Loft." And now, Roskam is looking to add a bit of shine to his resume.

Following the path of so many filmmakers these days, the director is now headed to HBO where he'll write and direct the pilot for "Buda Bridge." The show will be set in the near feature in Brussels, and is a crime drama that will kick off when a woman is found dead on the titular landmark, leading to crime, mayhem and a bit of sci-fi, apparently. All intriguing stuff, but there's a bit more: Michael Mann will be co-producing alongside Roskam and Michael Johnson, and he's certainly become a familiar face at HBO. Mann was behind the ill-fated and since canceled "Luck," and this fall throws his producing powers behind the documentary series "Witness," about war photographers.

So, hell yeah, the mix of folks here is certainly one that puts this firmly on our radar. Roskam doesn't seem to have been in any big rush to sign on to his next project, but this looks like a sound decision, and it certainly gives the rising filmmaker a lot more tools to play with. Let's hope this project keeps some solid forward momentum. [Deadline]