Jake Gyllenhaal is joining his sister Maggie as part of the HBO family. According to Deadline, the Oscar-nominated actor is making the leap to prestige TV with a new limited series coming to the premium network, titled “Lake Success.”
“Lake Success” is based on the novel by Gary Shteyngart, who also co-writes the series with Tom Spezialy. The story follows a narcissistic hedge fund manager Barry Cohen, played by Gyllenhaal, who attempts to escape his family and the SEC by going on a cross-country bus trip to find an ex-girlfriend and try to rekindle the old romance. The series also follows Cohen’s wife as she struggles to raise their autistic son, while also getting involved in a new romantic relationship of her own.
“Gary’s novel is a beautifully executed character study highlighting the depth of human contradiction and complication, set against the timely backdrop of America today. We are thrilled to partner with HBO, who has consistently been home to some of the most exciting and acclaimed premium content over the past two decades,” said Gyllenhaal and co-producer Riva Marker.
As mentioned, Gyllenhaal is Oscar-nominated for his role in the film “Brokeback Mountain.” Since then, he’s been seen in a number of great films, including “Nightcrawler,” “Prisoners,” “Zodiac,” “Nocturnal Animals,” and last year’s “Wildlife.” He’ll next be seen as the villain Mysterio in the upcoming Marvel Studios film “Spider-Man: Far From Home.”
“Lake Success” is far from the only project that the actor currently has in front of him. Just recently, it was announced that the directors of the Oscar-winning “Free Solo” would helm an upcoming heist film for Netflix that he is attached to. Gyllenhaal is also attached to the upcoming “Rio,” which has him co-starring with Benedict Cumberbatch.