Cable upstart FXX picks up its first original series, giving orders to an animated comedy from the team behind HBO series Eastbound & Down and FX series Archer.
Cable upstart FXX has picked up its first original series, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, giving orders to an animated comedy from the group behind Eastbound & Down and Archer.
Chozen is the brainchild of Grant Dekernion, who will write and executive produce the animated comedy about a gay white rapper recently released from prison who uses his new survival skills in his quest for redemption. Dekernion will also rap the songs featured in the series, while the character of "Chozen" will be voiced by Bobby Moynihan.
Danny McBride, Jody Hill and David Gordon Green of Rough House Pictures -- the team behind HBO's Eastbound & Down -- will executive produce along with Adam Reed and Matt Thompson of Floyd County Productions (Archer), who will animate the series. The characters in the FX Productions effort will be voiced by Saturday Night Live's Moynihan, Michael Pena, Hannibal Buress, Kathryn Hahn, Nick Swardson, Method Man, Dekernion and McBride.
Dekernion, a friend of McBride's, took the idea to the actor and his production company in February 2012, when the project was put in development at FX. FX ordered Chozen to pilot in March when the cable network officially unveiled plans to launch FXX.
“It’s great to be in business with Grant, Danny, Jody, David and Rough House, and this is the perfect first series order for FXX,” said Nick Grad, newly elevated president of original programming at FX Networks and FX Productions. "Chozen is an outrageous and ballsy comedy, but it’s also a very smart examination of the rap culture.”
With FX comedies It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Legit, and nightly talk show Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell, moving to the new network, FXX, which launches September 2, will focus on a younger demographic.
FX Networks and FX Productions CEO John Landgraf, who was promoted to the post this week, said at the time that the fourth scripted series would likely come from one of the handful of pilots in development at the News Corp.-owned cable network.
Chozen joins fellow animated entry Archer in the FX family, with the latter staying put on the flagship network for its fifth season.
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
