Nellie Andreeva

Dustin Hoffman HeadshotHBO has ordered the Dustin Hoffman-starring pilot Luck to series. Luck, from Michael Mann and David Milch, takes a provocative look at horse racing – the owners, gamblers, jockeys and diverse gaming industry players.  Production is set to begin this fall at Santa Anita Park and other Los Angeles locations.

“Michael Mann delivered a pilot from David Milch’s brilliant script that took our breath away,” said HBO’s programming president Michael Lombardo.  “We are truly excited that these two artists, and our extraordinary cast headed by Dustin Hoffman, will be bringing Luck to life.”

The cast for the pilot, penned by Milch and directed by Mann, also includes Dennis Farina, John Ortiz, Kevin Dunn, Richard Kind, Jason Gedrick, Ritchie Coster, Ian Hart, Tom Payne, Kerry Condon, Gary Stevens and Nick Nolte. Jill Hennessy guest stars. Milch, Mann and Carolyn Strauss execitive produce, with Henry Bronchtein co-executive producing and Hoffman producing.

Luck joins another high-profile new HBO drama series from a big filmmaker and a top TV writer, Martin Scorsese/Terence Winter’s Boardwalk Empire, which stars Steve Buscemi. The network also has two pilots from A-listers, Bill Condon’s Tilda, starring Diane Keaton, Jason Patric and Ellen Page, and John Logan/Kathryn Bigelow’s Miraculous Year starring Norbert Leo Butz, Hope Davis and Frank Langella.

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