EXCLUSIVE: Starz is developing The Comedown, a comedic drama series based on Rafael Frumkin’s book by the same name, sources tell Deadline. The project hails from Regina King’s Royal Ties Productions and Freddie Highmore’s Alfresco Pictures as well as TriStar Television, a division of Sony Pictures TV where The Good Doctor star Highmore has had an overall deal. A rep for Starz declined comment.
Written by Gretchen Enders (WandaVision), The Comedown is a darkly comedic, multigenerational drama that explores delineating lines of race, class, religion, and time, through the story of two very different Cleveland families – one Black, one white – whose lives become intertwined one fateful night when a drug deal goes dramatically wrong and a mysterious yellow briefcase disappears.
Highmore and Claire Londy executive produce through Alfresco Pictures alongside Enders as well as Regina King and Reina King of Royal Ties.
Enders most recently was co-executive producer on Netflix/Shondaland’s Sunshine Scouts, which did a writers room. Previously, she was a supervising producer on WandaVision for Disney+ and Marvel and also worked on Queen America for Facebook and Grace and Frankie for Netflix. She is repped at Verve.
The Comedown, published under the name Rebekah Frumkin, was Rafael Frumkin’s first book. His followup, Confidence, was pre-empted by Simon & Schuster and will be published in March 2023. Frumkin is repped by UTA and Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency.
Highmore is the star and executive producer of ABC’s popular medical drama The Good Doctor, now in its sixth season and doing a backdoor pilot for potential legal spinoff The Good Lawyer. He is repped by CAA, ARG and Felker Toczek Suddleson.
King executive produces and directs the upcoming David E. Kelley’s limited series for Netflix A Man In Full. She also produces and plays the title role in the upcoming John Ridley movie Shirley, a biopic of Shirley Chisholm. She is repped by CAA, John Carrabino Management and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.