ABC has given a straight-to-series order to drama The Big Sky, created and executive produced by David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, Ally McBeal, The Practice, Boston Legal, Goliath, Mr. Mercedes). The project, based on The Highway, the first book in C.J. Box’s Cassie Dewell series of novels, hails for A+E Studios, which will produce in association with 20th Century Fox Television, part of Disney TV Studios.

Written by Kelly, The Big Sky is a procedural thriller, in which private detective Cassie Dewell partners with ex-cop Cody Hoyt on a search for two sisters who have been kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana. When they discover that these are not the only girls who have disappeared in the area, they must race against the clock to stop the killer before another woman is taken.

Kelley executive produces with Ross Fineman and Box.

Box said, ““This has been a long time coming,” Box said. “When David Kelley acquired all of the Cassie Dewell novels we all had our fingers crossed. Now the time has come, and we couldn’t be more excited to be working with such a consummate professional who appreciates novels and novelists. This just feels right.”

The Cassie Dewell book series includes four novels published to date, The Highway (2013), Badlands (2015), Paradise Valley (2017) and The Bitterroots (2019).

Box is repped by APA and the Ann Rittenberg Literary Agency.

(From Deadline.com https://deadline.com/2020/01/david-e-...)