Fox Orders Ancient Egyptian Drama Series 'Hieroglyph' Created By 'Pacific Rim' Writer
Travis Beacham, who wrote the script for Pacific Rim, has created a TV show called Hieroglyph. It takes place in ancient Egypt, and Fox is so interested in the project that it has given it a full series order. Beacham wrote the pilot, and Fox nearly pulled the trigger on it two years ago, but now is evidently the time for the show. Variety reports the deal with Fox, and describes the show:
Set in ancient Egypt where fantasy and reality intertwine, "Hieroglyph" follows a notorious thief who is plucked from prison to serve the Pharoah, navigating palace intrigue, seductive concubines, criminal underbellies and even a few divine sorcerers.
Beacham offers a bit more:
It's more fantasy than historical fiction, but visceral fantasy. Magic, yes, but magic like Carnival Row has faeries. #Hieroglyph
— Travis Beacham (@travisbeacham) October 18, 2013
It's blood and sex. A charge in the air. A voice whispering your name from inside a sealed sarcophagus. That's the old magic. #Hieroglyph
— Travis Beacham (@travisbeacham) October 18, 2013
Kevin Reilly, Chairman of Entertainment for Fox told Variety, "We wanted to do a show about deceit, sex, intrigue in the court and fantastical goings-on – no better place to set that than ancient Egypt. Travis Beacham has an inventive mind, and he has wrapped this all together in this intoxicating new drama."
That combination, "deceit, sex, intrigue in the court and fantastical goings-on," makes this sound like it hopes to be Fox's own Egyptian Game of Thrones. Fair enough, but Fox won't be quite the place to dive into the sort of excess that drew curious new viewers to Game of Thrones, and kept them there long enough to be enthralled by the twisting story. Doesn't mean it can't work, and since we haven't seen Egypt as the basis of much television, this will be interesting. Hope the casting is appropriate to the period, however.
The pilot of Hieroglyph will be directed by Miguel Sapochnik.