EXCLUSIVE: Chris Messina (HBO’s Sharp Objects) and Ari Graynor (Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here) are set to headline a single-camera comedy from Atlanta and What We Do In the Shadows executive producer Paul Simms, which has received a formal green light at FX with Baskets co-creator/executive producer Jonathan Krisel directing.
Written by Simms, the untitled comedy is about a family surviving a widespread technological crisis. Messina and Graynor will play the parents, Hunt, a lawyer, and Rachel, an HR executive, respectively.
Simms executive produces with M. Blair Breard (Baskets, Better Things). FX Productions, where Simms is under an overall deal and Breard has a first-look pact, is the studio.
The project had had a blinking green light at FX for awhile, looking for the rights actors to play the leads Hunt and Rachel.
Messina will next be seen in the Warner Bros. DC film, Birds Of Prey, in which he plays villain Victor Zsasz. He is set to co-star in Season 3 of USA’s The Sinner opposite Matt Bomer and Bill Pullman, in the drama feature I Care A Lot, alongside Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage, in revenge thriller The Secrets We Keep, opposite Noomi Rapace, and Joel Kinnaman, and in Gia Coppola’s Mainstream, with Andrew Garfield. Messina is repped by Management 360, CAA and Gender Kelly.
Graynor co-stars in the upcoming FX on Hulu/FX Prods. limited series Mrs. America. She previously headlined Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here and CBS’ Bad Teacher. Her feature credits include The Disaster Artist. She is repped by UTA, Management 360 and Lichter, Grossman.
In addition to co-creating and executive producing FX’s Baskets, which aired on FX for four seasons, Krisel co-created and executive produced IFC long-running hit Portlandia. Simms created and executive produced NBC comedy series NewsRadio.
Simms is with The Management Group and Ziffren Brittenham; Krisel is with UTA, Mosaic and Morris Yorn.