HBO Series From 'Mare Of Easttown' Creator Casts Mark Ruffalo

HBO‘s acclaimed crime series “Mare of Easttown” has established writer/creator Brad Ingelsby (“The Way Back,” “Out of The Furnace“) as a major talent to keep an eye on. And while a follow-up to that fantastic first season remains a big question mark, Ingelsby will continue his relationship with the network with a new overall deal with HBO. And according to HBO, Ingelsby will write a new untitled police task force series that stars Mark Ruffalo (“Zodiac“), with Jeremiah Zagar (“Hustle“) set to direct episodes. Ingelsby, Ruffalo, and Zagar are also on board to executive produce the series.

READ MORE: ‘Echo Valley’: Julianne Moore & Sydney Sweeney Teaming With ‘Mare Of Easttown’ Creator For New Film

Casting Ruffalo in the lead role took place before the WGA strike, but there’s been no further development since the writers’ strike started. Given the strike and SAG-AFTRA (actor’s union) voting to unanimously strike if a deal with studios/streamers doesn’t happen could mean HBO won’t starting film the series anytime soon. But the show’s announcement stated there isn’t an officially slated date for production to start, and development of the series likely won’t resume until the strike ends.

A brief logline provided to us for Ingelsby’s new series reads as follows:

The series follows a task force of law enforcement officers and the criminals they are trying to apprehend.

HBO’s announcement doesn’t specifically mention a setting for the series, but given that both Ingelsby and Zagar hail from Pennsylvania there’s a good shot that might be where the untitled show takes place. That’s also safe to assume, given that Ingelsby set “Mare of Easttown” in the state, along with “Out Of The Furnace” and 2018’s “American Woman.” And given the artistic pedigree of “Mare Of Easttown,” another crime drama set in a rust-belt state like Pennsylvania doesn’t sound too bad.

Ruffalo’s casting continues his recent foray into small screen projects, including HBO’s “I Know This Much Is True” and a guest role as Bruce Banner on the Disney+ series “She-Hulk.” Up next, the actor has the Shawn Levy-directed Netflix limited drama series “All The Light We Cannot See” in November. And before that, Ruffalo stars on the big screen in Yorgo Lanthimos‘ sci-fi comedy “Poor Things” opposite Emma Stone, which arrives in theaters on September 8. Further ahead, Ruffalo stars in Bong Joon-ho‘s upcoming “Mickey 17” alongside Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette, Naomi Ackie, and Steven Yeun, with that film hitting theaters on March 29, 2024.

More news on Ingelsby’s new HBO series as it arrives.