Ron Howard has run far, far away from the “Star Wars” universe for his next project. Fresh off the disappointing box office run of “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” the filmmaker is trying something completely different – a dark comedy TV pilot.
According to Deadline, Howard has signed a deal with the Paramount Network to direct the pilot for “68 Whiskey.” The series is an adaptation of the Israeli series “Charlie Golf One,” which follows a multicultural mix of Army medics, who are stationed at “The Orphanage,” a base in Afghanistan. As Deadline says, the group of medics “endure a dangerous and Kafkaesque world that leads to self-destructive appetites, outrageous behavior, intense camaraderie and occasionally, a profound sense of purpose.”
READ MORE: Ron Howard: “I Feel Badly” About The ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Box Office Performance
This marks Howards return to TV after directing the pilot episode of the acclaimed biopic anthology series, “Genius.” However, before that, Howard hadn’t directed an episode of TV ever, and only had four TV movies under his belt from the late-‘70s to early-‘80s. So it stands to reason that if Howard is involved in this project, he must really believe in it.
Paramount Network is still a fledgling network but has recently been signing up some big-name talent. Just a few weeks ago, the network premiered “Yellowstone” from writer-director Taylor Sheridan, and starring Kevin Costner. They also just signed a deal to produce a 10-episode series based on the feature film “First Wives Club,” from Tracy Oliver, who is best known for writing “Girls Trip.”
No word on a release date for “68 Whiskey,” but it’s safe to say the series will probably go into production late this year, and if it’s picked up, will premiere sometime in 2019.