Deadline reports that HBO has officially given the greenlight to six-hour miniseries “Show Me a Hero,” and its leading man will be “Inside Llewyn Davis” star Oscar Isaac.
Based on Lisa Belkin’s nonfiction novel regarding a citywide controversy over housing desegregation, the series follows Nick Wasicsko (Isaac), a young mayor cast into a racially charged political dilemma when he is ordered by a federal court to build a number of low-income housing units in the predominantly white neighborhoods of Yonkers, N.Y. In his struggle to carry out the task, his work divides the city and jeopardizes his political future. Catherine Keener also stars as a local homeowner who “comes to a remarkable realization during the battle over where to build low-income housing.”
Some viewers might be a bit wary about white/racially ambiguous leads (Isaac is actually a mix of Guatemalan and Cuban) swooping in to “save” lower class minorities, especially with a title like “Show Me a Hero.” But the show’s creator, David Simon, also co-created the critically acclaimed “The Wire,” a vastly influential series which put an intended emphasis on racial narratives and the socioeconomic realities of American culture. His reputation alone is enough to put viewers more at ease about the subject material.
Just last year, Oscar Isaac was virtually unknown until his role on the Coen brothers’ latest hit “Inside Llewyn Davis” catapulted him to fame. He will next be seen in “A Most Violent Year” opposite Jessica Chastain and William Monahan’s thriller “Mojave.” Isaac’s most anticipated role will actually occur next year, once “Star Wars: Episode VII” hits theaters.
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