Nellie Andreeva

Writer Jason Smilovic has set up a drama project at Fox. The project, titled The Detail, landed a script commitment with penalty after interest from multiple networks. It is executive produced by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, with Michael Dinner on board to direct. Produced by Sony TV, it is described as Ocean’s Eleven meets Revenge of the Nerds. It centers on a private detective, who, after being released from jail for a crime he didn’t commit, assembles a group of rejects, each with a unique talent, to form a detective agency and bring down his old business partner who framed him.

Additionally, Smilovic is doing a p.1 rewrite on the feature Replay, which Goldsmith-Thomas is producing for Warner Bros. The project is based on the 1987 fantasy adventure novel by Ken Grimwood about a failing 43-year-old radio journalist who dies and wakes up in his 18-year-old body in 1963 with his memories of the next 25 years intact. After recovering from the shock, he plays out missed choices. A movie adaptation of the book had been in the works for two decades, with several writers taking a crack at it, most recently, Richard LaGravenese and now Smilovic.

Smilovic has written 3 pilots for far: ABC’s Karen Sisco and NBC’s Kidnapped and My Own Worst Enemy, all of which have gone to series. (Enemy was a straight-to-series order.) All 3 pilots were directed by Dinner, who is under an overall deal at Sony TV. Detail also reunites Smilovic with Sony, the studio behind Kidnapped. In addition to Smilovic and Goldsmith-Thomas, who are executive producing, Tyler Mitchell, Smilovic’s partner at Dark & Stormy Entertainment, will serve as producer. Smilovic is repped by CAA and Madhouse Entertainment.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.