HBO Orders James Gandolfini Pilot

James Gandolfini | Photo Credits: David Livingston/Getty Images
James Gandolfini | Photo Credits: David Livingston/Getty Images

HBO has given a pilot order to Criminal Justice, a new crime drama starring James Gandolfini, Deadline reports.

Criminal Justice, based on a 2008 BBC series of the same name, tells the stories of people who have been accused of murder, according to the report. Gandolfini (The Sopranos) will play Jack Stone, a jailhouse lawyer tasked with representing a Pakistani-American man who has been charged with a woman's murder. The actor will also executive-produce the series.

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The British version, which won BAFTAs for best drama and best writer, consisted of two five-episode seasons, each with different characters and new actors.

The show will be written by Richard Price and directed by Steven Zaillian, according to the report. The pilot is scheduled to shoot in New York this fall.