‘Emperor of Ocean Park’ Series Adaptation Written By Sherman Payne Ordered At MGM+

MGM+ has officially given a ten-part series order to the adaptation of Stephen L. Carter’s best-selling novel, Emperor of Ocean Park. The network has enlisted Sherman Payne, writer of the hit series Shameless, to lead the project, with John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television co-producing. The series was first announced at the start of the year, coinciding with Epix’s rebranding as MGM+. Damian Marcano, the director of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, is also set to helm multiple episodes.

Set in the world of politics, Ivy League academia, and the picturesque beaches of Martha’s Vineyard, the show’s plot revolves around the life of Talcott Garland, an Ivy League law professor whose world is turned upside down after his father, Judge Oliver Garland, dies of a heart attack. However, Tal’s sister, Mariah, a former journalist and conspiracy theorist, believes their father’s death was foul play, and her quest for answers brings up long-held family secrets.

First published in 2002, Warner Bros. preemptively optioned the novel in 2001, with John Wells Productions and Gaylord Films also joining the project. A movie adaptation was in the works with Stephen Schiff and Carl Franklin, while Katori Hall developed the project as a pilot for Fox in 2015. However, MGM+’s ten-part series will be the first time this mystery-thriller story hits the small screen.

The series will be produced by John Wells Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television, with John Wells, Sherman Payne, Damian Marcano, Shukree Tilghman, and JWP’s Erin Jontow serving as executive producers. Payne, who is also the showrunner, wrote the first episode, and Marcano will direct it.

Michael Wright, head of MGM+, stated that “Emperor of Ocean Park is much more than a murder mystery.” He believes that it explores important themes of Black identity in the middle and upper class, making it a valuable addition to the channel's slate of original series. Payne added that the show is an extraordinary depiction of Black people in powerful settings, and he believes audiences of all backgrounds will be entertained by the Garland clan's intrigue. John Wells echoed the excitement, stating that bringing Carter’s novel to television has been a long-term dream of his team.

The production team's representation includes WME, Entertainment 360, and McKuin Frankel Whitehead for Payne, Lynn Nesbit from Janklow & Nesbit and Bob Bookman for Carter and his novel, and Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston and Joel VanderKloot for Marcano. With the series order official, fans of the book can now look forward to the adaptation's release on MGM+.