George Clooney’s "Good Night, And Good Luck" Series Adaptation in Works At AMC

AMC Networks is developing a series adaptation of the 2005 movie “Good Night, and Good Luck".

A writers’ room for the six-episode series has opened as part of the networks' scripts-to-series model. Jonathan Glatzer, a writer/producer on series including AMC’s "Better Call Saul" and HBO’s "Succession", will lead the room and serve as showrunner on the project.

The adaptation is one of three projects as part of AMC Networks’ latest tranche of scripts-to-series batch. 

George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and their Smokehouse Pictures banner brought the project to AMC alongside Participant and 2929 Productions.

Clooney co-starred and directed from a script he co-wrote along with Heslov. 2929 and Participant both produced the movie as well.

“Good Night, and Good Luck" also starred David Strathairn, Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels, Robert Downey Jr., and Frank Langella.

Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner of 2929 return as executive producers alongside Jeff Skoll of Participant. Miura Kite of Participant will also executive produce along with Haley Jones of 2929. Rebecca Arzoian of Smokehouse will co-executive produce. 

The black-and-white movie followed the battle between CBS journalist Edward R. Murrow, played by David Strathairn, and U.S. Senator Joe McCarthy over the latter’s anti-Communist actions. It also starred Robert Downey Jr., Patricia Clarkson, and Frank Langella.

Heslov will direct the first episode of the series should it move forward. It will be an origin story of the conflict centered around the newsmen and women who worked alongside Murrow amid a post-war climate of fear and hysteria. 

The series will follow Sy Steingartner, a young cameraman for Murrow’s See It Now, who is forced to juggle his admiration for Murrow with his own ambition. 

With the CBS brass pushing an anti-Communist Loyalty Oath on Murrow and his staff, Sy has an opportunity to rise straight to the top but only by betraying his mentor in the process. 

The series confronts how we respond to chaos and the values that pull us through.