HBO Max has ordered the drama series “Duster” from J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan with Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson set to star.
The eight-episode series is set in 1972. Per the official logline, “the first Black female FBI agent (Hilson) heads to the Southwest and recruits a gutsy getaway driver (Holloway) in a bold effort to take down a growing crime syndicate.”
“‘Duster’ is an amalgam of all my favorite things – high octane storytelling with deep characters and so much heart,” Morgan said. “It’s a dream project and I’m supremely grateful to all the folks at Warner Bros. and HBO Max for believing in this show. And I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime than J.J. to build this incredible world.”
Along with Holloway and Hilson, the series will also star: Keith David as Ezra, Sydney Elisabeth as Genesis, Greg Grunberg as Abbott, Camille Guaty as Izzy, Asivak Koostachin as Awan, Adriana Aluna Martinez as Luna, Benjamin Charles Watson as Royce.
Abrams and Morgan co-wrote the first two episodes of “Duster,” with Steph Green set to direct and executive produce the first two episodes. Abrams and Rachel Rusch Rich executive produce via Bad Robot, while Morgan executive produces under her TinkerToy Productions banner. Warner Bros. Television will produce. Morgan is currently under overall deals at WBTV, while Abrams and Bad Robot signed a sizable content partnership with WarnerMedia in 2019.
“LaToya and I are thrilled at the chance to bring the wild, wily and wacky world of ‘Duster’ to life, especially with this exceptional cast, crew and network,” Abrams said.
The role reunites Holloway with Abrams, as Holloway is best known for starring as James “Sawyer” Ford on the ABC drama “Lost.” Abrams co-created the series in addition to executive producing and directing multiple episodes. Holloway was recently seen in the Paramount Network series “Yellowstone as well as the USA Network action drama “colony” from “Lost” co-creator Carlton Cuse. His feature credits include “Sabotage” and “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.”
Hilson is perhaps best known for her work on “This Is Us,” in which she played the teenage version of Susan Kelechi Watson’s character, Beth. She is also known for her work on shows like “The Good Wife,” “Love, Victor,” “Rise,” and “American Horror Story.”
“We are delighted to bring this high-voltage crime caper from the brilliant minds of J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan to the HBO Max audience,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content for HBO Max. “This show has all the elements of a great Max Original, with propulsive storytelling, fantastic characters, and some truly bad-ass car chases.”
“Duster” was first reported as being the works at HBO Max back in 2020, while PvNew reported on Holloway’s casting in 2021. The show received a production commitment at the time it was announced along with a “Justice League Dark” series and “Overlook,” inspired by Stephen King’s “The Shining.” Both of the latter two shows are no longer moving forward.
Abrams is repped by CAA and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer. Morgan is repped by Eclipse Law. Green is repped by UTA, Entertainment 360, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole. David is repped by Artists + Reps, Silver J Management, and Meyer and Downs. Elisabeth is repped by Authentic Talent and Literary Management, and Gang Tyre. Grunberg is repped by manager Susan Calogerakis, Paradigm Talent Agency, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Guaty is repped by APA, Impression Entertainment, and Brecheen, Feldman, Breimer, Silver and Thompson. Hilson is repped by Neon Kite, CAA, and Goodman Genow. Holloway is repped by UTA. Koostachin is repped by the Characters Talent Agency. Martinez is repped by Isabel Echeverry at Kontakto. Watson is reped by A3 Artists Agency, Luber Roklin Entertainment, and Play Management.
