Paramount+ Lands ‘Cop Land’ Series Adaptation From James Mangold, Robert Levine, Par TV Studios & Miramax

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount+‘s “Land” slate is growing. In a competitive situation, the streamer has nabbed for development Cop Land, James Mangold‘s series take on his 1997 Miramax movie. The project, from Paramount Television Studios and Miramax Television, is looking to join Paramount+’s current hits MobLand and Landman. (Coincidentally, Paramount+ is also the TV home of Cop Land star Sylvester Stallone, who headlines another popular drama for the streamer, Tulsa King.)

As Deadline has reported, Cop Land, co-written and executive produced by Mangold and The Old Man co-creator Robert Levine and to be directed by Mangold, was taken out in April, landing four offers. Levine will serve as showrunner.

The project’s origins date back to Jonathan Glickman’s appointment as Miramax CEO two years ago. An outreach to Mangold about adapting the title from the studio’s movie library to television was among his first moves.

The process kicked into high gear following the August acquisition of Paramount Global, which owns 49% of Miramax, by Skydance and the formation of Paramount TV Studios.

Just hours after the merger closed, Paramount won in a bidding war High Side, Mangold’s re-team with his A Complete Unknown star Timothée Chalamet. That was followed a month later by an overall deal the five-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker signed with Paramount Pictures.

Conversations stemming from the pact with Paramount TV Studios President Matt Thunell and Paramount Pictures co-chair Dana Goldberg, who oversees the TV studio, zeroed in on Cop Land as one of the first major collaborations between PTVS and Miramax TV.

Paramount TV Studios produces all Taylor Sheridan and 101 Studios series for sibling Paramount+. The studio also is behind the upcoming limited series 9/12 starring Jeremy Strong and a slew of shows in development.

Cop Land starred Stallone as the sheriff of a small New Jersey town who comes into conflict with the corrupt New York City police officers who live there. The movie also starred Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro.

Mangold wrote and directed the well-reviewed film with a formidable cast for a filmmaker with only a small indie movie, Heavy, under his belt until then. (The cast also included Peter Berg, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Patrick, Michael Rapaport, Annabella Sciorra, Noah Emmerich and Cathy Moriarty.) Distributed by Miramax, Cop Land grossed $63.7 million on a $15 million budget.

This marks Mangold’s return to television after almost a decade. He most recently executive produced the USA series Damnation, which streamed on Netflix. Mangold’s feature directing credits also include Girl, Interrupted, Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, as well as the Adapted Screenplay Oscar nominee Logan, Best Picture nominee Ford v. Ferrari and Best Picture and Best Director nominee A Complete Unknown. He is repped by WME, Entertainment 360 and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

Levine was co-creator and executive producer on the FX series The Old Man starring Jeff Bridges. He also co-created and executive produced Starz’s Black Sails, worked on Jericho, Harpers Island, Human Target and Touch and adapted for TV another Miramax movie title, Gone Baby Gone, which went to pilot at Fox in 2018. Levine is repped by WME and TFC Management.