‘The Departed’ Producer Developing ‘Fargo’-Esque TV Adaptation

FX’s Fargo has certainly made the case for movie-TV reboots to tell worthwhile stories only loosely based on their predecessors, and The Departed executive producer Roy Lee said the Martin Scorsese drama may follow suit. In lieu of stalled efforts for a sequel, the erstwhile Infernal Affairs may yet have its own Fargo-type TV series.

Collider spoke to Lee of the prospect, learning that while Scorsese’s understandable disinterest in any kind of expensive followup to The Departed (original Chinese iteration Infernal Affairs has had several sequels) stalled feature efforts, the success of FX’s Fargo encouraged them to see an alternative. It wouldn’t necessarily retell the movie itself, or feature the same characters, but rather the loose premise of two rival moles within police and criminal elements:

The Departed as a concept is amazing. That’s what attracted me to the story, the two moles working on either side of the law, and translating that idea into other settings with new characters, like how Fargo has taken the feel of the Coen Brother’s film. We were having discussions about making infernal affairs a television series. A different city, so it’s not anything like The Departed, but essentially The Departed as a TV series.”

Lee elaborated that writers are currently debating how to structure a Departed series for longevity, which could determine whether broadcast or cable networks offer a better fit. For all its acclaim, what network wouldn’t want their own Fargo, the chance for a one-off success without initial commitment to subsequent seasons or actors?

Would The Departed work as its own series, loosely inspired by the original films? Watch the Scorsese trailer below.