Abrams
Sarnoff
Fox has locked up a deal for J.J. Abrams' "Alcatraz."
Network gave a pilot commitment to the project, which started out as a spec script from scribe Elizabeth Sarnoff ("Lost"). Fox scooped up the project that had drawn interest from other nets.
"Alcatraz" reps the latest in a long line of TV and feature projects set in the infamous prison shut down in 1963. Facility was once home to Al Capone, among other famous criminals.
Sarnoff will exec produce with Abrams and Bryan Burk; Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt are co-exec producers. Warner Bros. TV, where Abrams' Bad Robot shingle is based, is the studio.
Abrams is already in business with Fox via "Fringe." Bad Robot's next series, "Undercovers," bows next Wednesday on NBC. Both "Fringe" and "Undercovers" also began as specs.
Sarnoff's other credits include "Deadwood," "Crossing Jordan" and "NYPD Blue."
Contact Michael Schneider at
mike.schneider@variety.com