EXCLUSIVE: Emmy winner Jeff Daniels is set to star in Bannerman, AMC‘s upcoming drama series based on the popular spy novels by John R. Maxim, which is getting a second window on Netflix.
Daniels is the first actor cast in Bannerman, the first series to come out of AMC Studios’ co-production agreement with Netflix.
From Shane Black and Craig Silverstein, Bannerman centers on the eponymous Paul Bannerman, a lethal covert operative who convinces a group of the world’s most deadly assassins to quit the spy game for a chance to lead normal lives in the suburbs of Connecticut. Old enemies, bad habits, a paranoid government and an unrelenting ex-cop will make retirement their most difficult mission yet.
Daniels will play Raymond Lesko, an infamous NYPD detective, currently working a hotel security gig after being thrown off the force for taking revenge following the murder of his ex-partner, who still haunts him to this day. Lesko is pulled out of retirement when he learns that his daughter – the only person alive he truly cares about – is dating a man who may even be more dangerous than he is.
Lesko is a central character in Maxim’s books, and AMC aimed high, going after big names for the role.
Black co-wrote the first episode and will executive produce and direct the first two episodes. Silverstein is writer, showrunner and executive producer. Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten also executive produce. AMC Studios and Netflix co-produce, with AMC Studios as the lead studio.
Bannerman will premiere on AMC in the U.S. and Canada and be available on Netflix in the U.S. and Canada 90 days after the season finale airs on AMC. Netflix and AMC will jointly debut each episode in Australia, New Zealand and Spain; Netflix will carry the show exclusively everywhere else in the world.
This marks Daniels’ first series starring role since American Rust, which ran for two seasons, one on Showtime and one on Prime Video. He has won two Emmys, Lead Actor in a Drama Series for HBO’s The Newsroom and Best Supporting Actor for Netflix’s Godless. At Netflix, Daniels also headlined the limited series A Man In Full.
Daniels next recurs on the fifth and final season of Apple TV’s The Morning Show. In features, he was recently seen in the Cold War thriller The Brink of War, opposite J.K. Simmons and Jared Harris, and has 2034 for Netflix, starring opposite Rachel McAdams, and Starman, with Brendan Fraser, coming out in 2027. Daniels is repped by LBI Entertainment, Martino Management and Yorn, Levine.