Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Fox is taking a modern-day spin on the story of infamous Depression-era bank-robbing couple Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The network has put in development a contemporary drama project inspired by the tale of Bonnie & Clyde, from Sony Pictures TV and Maria Grasso and Deborah Spera’s studio-based One-Two Punch Prods.

Written/executive produced by Ryan Tavlin (Without A Trace), the untitled project is described as a serialized drama about two sexy, young lovers from struggling families in East Texas, who use their respective skill sets to pair up and fight back, one crime at at time. As they capture the hearts of a nation facing similar hardships, they become worldwide celebrities, inciting one of the biggest domestic manhunts in U.S. history and inspiring copycats at every turn. Their families, the Parkers and the Barrows, are swept up in the duo’s crime spree and ultimately become divided as whether to join the rebellion or have them stop. 

The story of Bonnie & Clyde, immortalized by the 1967 Oscar-winning movie, remains popular. History and Lifetime are mounting a four-hour Bonnie & Clyde miniseries, also produced by Sony Pictures TV. Bruce Beresford just signed on to direct the mini, executive produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. There also has been an indie movie about the couple in the works for the last few years, and the 80-year-old story recently became a digital hit, with a photo of a kissing handcuffed couple, dubbed “modern-day Bonnie & Clyde,” going viral online.

It’s been a busy season for One-Two Punch, which also has a drama from Source Code writer Ben Ripley at NBC that has Angela Bassett attached to star, and drama Dakota, written by Andrew Chapman and John Eisendrath, at ABC. Last seaosn, Tavlin, repped by WME and manager Jeff Silver, wrote mob wives drama project Beautiful Gangsters for ABC, produced by Bob Cooper and Anthony Lapaglia.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.