Showtime's 'American Gigolo' Adaptation Starring Jon Bernthal Gets Series Order

Before establishing himself as a Hollywood megastar thanks to leading roles in the likes of “An Officer and a Gentleman” and “The Cotton Club,” Richard Gere set a whole generation’s pulses racing as male escort Julian Kaye in Paul Schrader‘s 1980 noir thriller, “American Gigolo.” Now, Jon Bernthal (“The Punisher,” “Those Who Wish Me Dead“) is set to follow suit as the lead of Showtime’s small-screen adaptation of the classic ’80s thriller.

Paramount and Jerry Bruckheimer (who produced the original) have actually been attempting to get a TV series based on Schrader’s film off the ground since 2014, with Neil Labute attached as a writer at one point. This new incarnation has David Hollander (“Ray Donovan“) on board as writer, director, and EP.

The series is described as “a present-day reimagining of the iconic 1980 film,” with Bernthal playing Julian Kaye, “who is introduced 15 years after he’s been arrested for murder and struggling to find his footing in the modern-day Los Angeles sex industry while seeking the truth about the set-up that sent him to prison all those years ago.”

If you’ve seen the ’80s movie, you’ll know that this really sounds more like a sequel than a reboot, so there’s a chance Hollander’s show will also serve as a loose follow-up — although Gere’s character was able to prove his innocence (spoiler alert) in the end.

“If you haven’t already fallen under the spell of Jon Bernthal, get ready,” said Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks, in a statement. “Jon absolutely owns the screen with his searing, brooding, and vulnerable performance in this contemporary version of American Gigolo. Writer/director David Hollander brilliantly reimagines the seductive original film, confronting the mystery, the exhilaration, and the danger of our deepest desires.”

Showtime’s ‘American Gigolo” will also star “Boardwalk Empire” actress Gretchen Mol as Kaye’s “one true love” Michelle (played by Lauren Hutton in the film), Rosie O’Donnell (“SMILF“) as homicide Detective Sunday, Lizzie Brocheré (“Falling Water“) as sex work ring heiress Isabelle, Gabriel LaBelle (“Dead Shack“) as a younger version of Julian named Johnny and Leland Orser (“Ray Donovan”) as Richard Stratton, a self-made tech billionaire. Wayne Brady (“The Wayne Brady Show“) guest stars as Lorenzo, Julian’s best friend and mentor.