Showtime are upping the ante on their next forthcoming pilot, Billions. Slated as a heady mix of cerebral high finance shenanigans with a heavy dose of human drama thrown in, the show is beginning to accumulate a solid team of players both on and off-screen.
Written and executive produced by Brian Koppelman, David Levien and Andrew Ross Sorkin, the show has bagged two major starring names to headline: The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s Paul Giamatti and former Homeland star Damian Lewis.
Here’s the brief synopsis offered up thus far:
Billions takes a forensic look at the world of high finance by tracking the approaching collision between two titanic figures: the hard-charging, whip-smart U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Giamatti) and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Lewis).
Akerman, who’s most recently been spotted on the small screen in The Comeback, has signed on to play Lara Axelrod, a former nurse from humble beginnings who’s now married to billionaire Bobby Axelrod. Could this be the role that transforms Akerman from a mere blonde looker into a fully-realized character? She’s clearly got the chops to tackle comedy, which is repeatedly referred to as notoriously tough to master. It’ll be a pleasant change to see her in perhaps a grittier role.
As well as Giamatti and Lewis, she will be starring opposite former Sons Of Anarchy star, Maggie Siff. Like Akerman, Siff is set to play the wife of one of the leading duo. In this case, she will play Chuck’s wife Wendy Rhoades, who climbed the medical ladder and has since gone on to become a decorated psychologist. Will there be tension between the two wives? Probably. After all, this is Showtime.
Billions first episode will be directed by Divergent helmer Neil Burger, who is expected to lens the pilot in New York sometime in early 2015.
