Sundance's "Hap And Leonard" (Season 1)

[theusher]

Empire and The Wire alum Michael K. Williams is to star in the original scripted series Hap and Leonard, SundanceTV announced.
Based on Joe Lansdale's Hap and Leonard novels and short stories, the program has been picked up for six one-hour episodes to premiere in early 2016. The show was created by director/writer Jim Mickle (Cold in July) and writer Nick Damici.

"By turns funny and shocking, Hap and Leonard provides an unpredictable and side-eyed look into race, class and friendship," the cable television network said in a news release.

Williams will play Leonard Pine, an openly gay Vietnam vet with anger issues. His best friend is Hap Collins, a white, working-class laborer who spent time in federal prison as a young man for refusing to be drafted into the military and serve in the Vietnam War, a synopsis said.

The actor who will play the role of Hap has not been announced yet.

Sundance TV ordered six hourlong episodes of “Hap and Leonard.” The series, set to bow in early 2016, marks the net’s third original scripted series, following “Rectify” and “The Red Road.” The show will be filmed in Baton Rouge, standing in for East Texas.

The series is based on the books of Joe Lansdale and features a pair of unlikely friends: Hap is blue collar and went to prison for refusing to go to Vietnam, Leonard is an aggressive, gay African-American Vietnam vet. Despite their differences, each would give their life for the other and have the skills needed to survive the violent messes they often find themselves in. The books are set in East Texas in the mid 80s.