In a surprising twist, F. Scott Fitzgerald classic, The Great Gatsby, is about to get a badge-and-holster makeover by NBC with a gender twist. Television networks love a good literary remix, but NBC’s latest project takes creative liberties to a whole new precinct. Trading the smoky underground speakeasies and decadent Long Island estates of West Egg for contemporary crime scenes, a wild new police procedural is officially in development.
This new take on the legendary literary piece reimagines The Great Gatsby as a serialized detective drama – complete with a clever gender-swapped twist.
NBC announces a confounding The Great Gatsby adaptation
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legendary Jazz Age masterpiece is getting an unexpected badge-and-gun makeover over at NBC, titled Gatsby, where a modern police procedural spin on The Great Gatsby is officially in the works, per Deadline. Spearheaded by writer-executive producers Jake Coburn and Jason Tracey under the Universal Television banner, the series reimagines the tragic 1925 literary staple as a contemporary crime drama.
The project centers on an intriguing investigative duo: Detective Jay Gatsby, a dangerously charismatic sleuth equipped with the silver-tongued instincts of a seasoned grifter, paired with decorated New York State Police Investigator Nicole “Nicky” Carraway. In a gender-flipped twist on the novel’s famous bond salesman and narrator, Nicky is a born-and-raised officer harboring secret aspirations of trading her shield for a writer’s desk.
THE GREAT GATSBY, from left: Amitabh Bachchan, Tobey Maguire, Leonardo DiCaprio, 2013. Warner Bros. Pictures courtesy Everett Collection Warner Bros Courtesy Everett Collection !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT! PUBLICATIONXNOTxINxCANxCHNxFRAxITAxJPNxNORxPOLxRUSxESPxUK
While the original pages chronicle Nick’s descent into the opulent, turbulent world of West Egg and his wealthy neighbor’s desperate quest to reunite with Daisy Buchanan, this fresh small-screen iteration trades literary tragedy for episodic crime-solving, as reported by Deadline. Over the past century, Fitzgerald’s classic has spawned numerous cinematic interpretations – ranging from Herbert Brenon’s 1926 silent film to Baz Luhrmann’s high-octane 2013 blockbuster – though this marks a rare and radical leap into serialized television procedurals.
The creative forces behind the upcoming adaptation bring an extensive, high-profile pedigree spanning network television and streaming hits.
A plethora of experience riding with the creative duo
Jake Coburn boasts a long-standing relationship with NBC, most recently steering two seasons of the procedural The Hunting Party as co-showrunner and executive producer. His impressive television footprint also includes co-creating NBC’s crime thriller The Endgame, executive producing Netflix’s Barbarians and Biohackers alongside ABC’s Quantico, and building his early writing credentials on prestige dramas like Dirty S*** Money, Gossip Girl, Arrow, and Dynasty (on top of authoring a pair of award-winning young adult novels).
THE GREAT GATSBY, from left: Carey Mulligan, Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, 2013. Warner Bros. courtesy Everett Collection Warner Bros Courtesy Everett Collection !ACHTUNG AUFNAHMEDATUM GESCHÄTZT! PUBLICATIONXNOTxINxCANxCHNxFRAxITAxJPNxNORxPOLxRUSxESPxU
Meanwhile, Jason Tracey brings a wealth of procedural expertise to the table, coming off an executive producer run on ABC’s RJ Decker. Before that, Tracey cemented his industry standing as the creator and showrunner of CBS’ Jerry Bruckheimer-produced revival CSI: Vegas under an overall studio deal, in addition to helming the CBS pilot Alive starring Ryan Phillippe. His foundational television resume features a massive seven-season run as an executive producer on Elementary, alongside key writing and producing stints on fan-favorite dramas such as Burn Notice, Justice, and Cold Case.
Are you excited for this new inventive adaptation of The Great Gatsby? Do let us know.
