Neve Campbell is set to star in the upcoming ABC series “Avalon,” Variety has confirmed.
The show hails from co-creators David E. Kelley and Michael Connelly, with the show based on a short story that Connelly wrote. It was ordered straight-to-series at ABC in February.
The series takes place in the main city of Avalon on Catalina Island, where LA Sheriff Department Detective Nicole “Nic” Searcy (Campbell) heads up a small office. Catalina has a local population that serves more than 1 million tourists a year, and each day when the ferries arrive, hundreds of potential new stories enter the island. Detective Searcy is pulled into a career-defining mystery that will challenge everything she knows about herself and the island.
The character of Searcy is further described as the lone detective assigned to the LA County Sheriff’s substation on Catalina Island. Somewhat inscrutable, she isn’t easily intimidated and holds firm to her morals. Ironically, her strong moral compass is what got her banished to Catalina’s biggest city, Avalon. It’s a gig no career-driven LA cop wants, but she soon discovers her valuable detective skills are needed more on Avalon than she could have imagined.
Campbell currently stars in the Netflix series “The Lincoln Lawyer,” which is based on a Connelly’s book series of the same name with Kelley serving as creator and executive producer. Campbell will remain on that show going into its second season in the recurring role of Maggie McPherson. Campbell is perhaps best known for her starring role in the “Scream” film franchise, though she recently announced she would not return for a sixth film because she felt “the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.”
Campbell is also known for starring in shows such as “Party of Five” and “House of Cards,” as well as films like “Wild Things” and “Skyscraper.” She is set to appear in the upcoming Peacock series based on the “Twisted Metal” video game franchise as well.
She is repped by Gersh, Anonymous Content and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Kole.
Kelley is writing the pilot of “Avalon” and will also executive produce. Connelly is also an executive producer alongside Dana Calvo, who will serve as showrunner. Ross Fineman of Fineman Entertainment (also an executive producer on “The Lincoln Lawyer) and Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson of A+E Studios will also executive produce. The series is produced by A+E Studios (which also produces “The Lincoln Lawyer”) and 20th Television. Fineman is currently under a first-look deal with A+E Studios. The show is slated to debut during the 2022-2023 season.
Deadline first reported Campbell’s casting.
