2017 is turning out to be a weirdly good year for TV prison breaks, with Variety reporting that Showtime has given a series order to Ben Stiller’s new show Escape At Dannemora. Starring Benicio Del Toro, Patricia Arquette, and Paul Dano, the series is based on a real-life escape that occurred in upstate New York in 2015. Inspiring a multi-million dollar manhunt, the event had everything you’d want from a juicy TV dramedy: charismatic prisoners, easily seduced prison guards, food poisoning, etc.
Dano and Del Toro will star as fictionalized versions of convicts Richard Matt and David Sweat, who used a combination of subterfuge, seduction, and painting skills to mastermind their escape. Stiller is set to produce and direct the eight-hour series, while Ray Donovan alums Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin will write.