Earlier this week, CBS ordered a pilot based on the cop drama Training Day, the movie that earned Denzel Washington a Best Actor Oscar. Today, it was reported that Ethan Hawke has been approached to reprise his role from the movie.
The film would follow a similar plot to the movie, but would switch the roles around, notes Variety. In the movie, Washington was the veteran, corrupt cop and Hawke was the young idealist. In the series, the young cop will be an African American, while the veteran will be a Caucasian.
The script that earned the pilot order was written by Will Beall (Gangster Squad). Executive producers are Jerry Bruckheimer, Beall, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed. Antoine Fuqua, who directed the 2001 film, will also direct the pilot.
Deadline reported today that Hawke, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the film, was approached to do the show. There were two different versions of the script written, one in which the older detective is Hawke’s character, Jake Hoyt. In the other, Hoyt is the Deputy Chief.
Hawke doesn’t really want to commit to a TV series, but Deadline reports that he would be interested in making occasional appearances, similar to Bradley Cooper’s role on Limitless.
One thing that CBS has in its favor for getting Hawke is that the actor has worked with Fuqua several times. He stars in Fuqua’s Magnificent Seven remake and Fuqua directed a 2011 Fox pilot Hawke starred in.