F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel The Last Tycoon is being adapted for HBO by The Hunger Games' writer Billy Ray.
Ray will write and direct the drama series and Chris Keyser (Party of Five) will be the showrunner, Deadline is reporting. Five networks bid on the project before HBO won.
Fitzgerald's Tycoon is inspired by film mogul Irving Thalberg. The story follows Monroe Stahr, who is a rising studio executive, in the 1930s as he continues to gain power and eventually butt heads with his head of studio and mentor Pat Brady. Brady is also based off of Louis B. Mayer.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ray will also executive produce alongside Keyser, Perri Kipperman, David Stern, Alix Witlin and Josh Mauer.
Tycoon was never finished as Fitzgerald died, at age 44, before completing the novel. His friend Edmund Wilson gathered together the notes and had the unfinished novel published.
It's not surprising there were several networks interested as period dramas are all the rage in Hollywood right now. HBO's own Boardwalk Empire was just renewed for a fifth season.
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