Lasse Hallström Doing U.S. TV for “New Amsterdam”

Lasse Hallström is one of those rare A-List directors that can work with a wide variety of actors ranging from Robert Redford to Jennifer Lopez — Morgan Freeman to Juliette Binoche — or Kevin Spacey to Dame Judith Dench, and make each of their performances look like an Oscar contender. In fact, the famed helmer is no stranger to the statue himself, having been nominated in the Best Director category.

This creator of such memorable movies as “Chocolat”, “An Unfinished Life” and “The Cider House Rules” has been sought after by none other than Fox Television to do a SF series for them. He has never done anything for American television before. However, Hallström is no vestal virgin, having worked in Swedish television production for 10 years before becoming an internationally recognized film director.

I know, I know, I can already hear the moans and the forbidding question “Did you say Fox and SF?” Yes, I did, but with Fox seeking out Steven Spielberg in the latter half of 2006 and now Hallström, both for SF projects, this may indicate a change at Fox in its attitude toward anything scifi…but, I could be wrong.

The pilot, written by Allan Loeb and Christian Taylor, is about a man cursed with immortality who works as a homicide detective in New York. “I was really intrigued by the writing,” Hallström told the Hollywood Reporter. “I find it emotionally very strong, with a very interesting lead character and a recognizable observation of human behavior.”