Nellie Andreeva

Law & Order mastermind Dick Wolf is returning to the courtroom with Injustice, a U.S. version of a British format, which will be written by former Friday Night Lights executive producer David Hudgins.

The project, from Universal TV and studio-based Wolf Films, is described as an intricate legal drama/psychological thriller about a devoted criminal defense attorney with a dark past buried deep in his psyche and heart, who juggles his complicated family situation with his emotionally conflicted feelings about representing heinous criminals. The original, created by Anthony Horowitz, ran as a five-episode limited series on ITV1 in summer 2011. It starred James Purefoy as the barrister at the center of the story. (See the trailer below.) Hudgins is executive producing the NBC version with Wolf Films’ Wolf, Danielle Gelber and Peter Jankowski. Horowitz and Jill Green, producer of the original series, will serve as producers.

In addition to veteran Law & Order: SVU, WME-repped Wolf Films has new firefighter drama Chicago Fire on NBC this fall. The company renewed its deal with NBCUniversal in May.

For Hudgins, Injustice stems from the new overall deal with Uni TV he signed in April. Hudgins worked on FNL for the entire run of the series, serving as co-showrunner with Jason Katims on the much-lauded final season. Hudgins also has served as a co-executive producer on Katims’ latest series, NBC’s Parenthood, for the past two seasons.

This is the second adaptation of an European format at NBC/Uni TV for UTA-repped Hudgins, who wrote a U.S. version of praised Danish drama Borgen last season.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.