Oscar nominee Michael Keaton is a damned American treasure, no doubt about that. The thing about him is that he is always a welcome addition to any project. He brings a certain something that is hard to put your finger on and impossible to replicate. There is no one quite like Keaton and, dammit, he really should have won an Oscar a few years ago.
Mr. Keaton’s career experienced a revival a few years ago with the back-to-back smashes Birdman and Spotlight. Since then, Keaton’s output has become more hit-or-miss but he is still landing some major gigs. That now includes Dopesick, a new eight-episode limited series that will air on Hulu. Keaton has signed on to star in the series that will be directed by Barry Levinson and written by Danny Strong based on Beth Macy’s bestselling book.
Dopesick will be an “ambitious, harrowing, and compelling look into the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction. The show takes viewers from a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA, to the opulence of the “one percenter” Big Pharma Manhattan.”
Keaton will be playing Samuel Finnix, a doctor who goes toe-to-toe with Big Pharma in the fight against opioids. That seems like a part Keaton can really sink his teeth into.
Although it sounds like Keaton will be the lead character in Dopesick, that description above suggests that it’ll be an ensemble piece similar to something like Traffic. I am excited to see who else signs on. Even before Keaton’s involvement, there were some incredibly talented people attached. Barry Levinson has been a wonderful, important director for decades and Danny Strong (Game Change) has consistently released timely and taut scripts over the last few years. Plus this is a subject matter that is sadly near-and-dear to many peoples’ hearts. This will be a series that draws a lot of attention.
I am really happy to see Keaton attached to Dopesick. This would be a show I’d want to watch even without him on board but, like I said, he is always a welcome addition.
Keaton next stars in Martin Campbell’s The Asset, Sony’s Spider-Man spin-off Morbius and Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7. The Keaton Comeback continues!