'Johnny X' marks spot for Nguyen
To star in tongue-in-cheek martial arts series
The deal returns Nguyen to a starring role in primetime series TV after his exit from the popular "21 Jump Street."
The Touchstone series, tentatively dubbed "Johnny X," is being described as a tongue-in-cheek martial arts adventure series with the irreverence of "The Avengers" and the fun of "The Wild Wild West." It will be produced by Sandollar Prods.
Nguyen, who became familiar to viewers while playing undercover police officer Harry Ioki on the "Jump Street" series, recently attracted the interest of several studios as a result of his European commercial campaign for Levis, which features his martial arts expertise.
The spots helped stoke competition for the actor's services among several suitors, with the Walt Disney Co.'s Touchstone TV arm stepping to the plate with a sizable offer.
Nguyen's agent Marty Hurwitz and manager Geoff Cheddy of Gallin-Morey closed the deal last week.
Since leaving "21 Jump Street," Nguyen has starred in several feature films, including Oliver Stone's "Heaven and Earth" for Warner Bros. and TriStar Pictures' "3 Ninjas Kick Back." He recently starred in the indie "100%," which is currently in search of a distributor.
