Common Series ‘Saturday Night Knife & Gun Club’ in the Works at Lionsgate

By Daniel Holloway

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Lionsgate Television is developing a series adaptation of B.P. Reiter’s book “The Saturday Night Knife & Gun Club” with Common set to star. The project is the first under the overall television deal Lionsgate set earlier this month with .

To be produced by Lionsgate and Common’s Freedom Road Productions, “The Saturday Night Knife & Gun Club” hails from Eric Eisner’s Double E Pictures. Eisner will exec produce with Allan Loeb and Andrew Farotte set to write the pilot episode.

“The Saturday Night Live Knife & Gun Club” is described as focusing on a tough, street smart ER doctor with a troubled past played by Common leads his staff against brutal conditions, dwindling resources, bureaucracy, and corporate greed in order to save lives at an inner-city hospital. No network has yet been attached to the project.

“I’m thrilled to partner with Lionsgate and Freedom Road to develop this exciting new TV series based on this engrossing book,” said Eisner, who is a partner at The Tornante Company, sits on the board of Topps Inc., and is represented by attorney Keith Fleer.. “We have a great script and a strong team in place, and I look forward to bringing the series to life.”

The Hollywood Reporter first reported news of the project.