Jon Hamm is to voice a misanthropic detective in a new animated comedy series for Fox.
The Mad Men star will lead Grimsburg from newcomers Catlan McClelland and Matthew Schlissel.
The series, which will launch in 2023, follows Marvin Flute (Hamm), who may be the greatest detective ever to catch a cannibal clown or correctly identify a mid-century modern armoire. But there’s one mystery he still can’t crack — his family. Now that he’s back in Grimsburg, a town where everyone has a secret or three, Flute will follow every lead he’s got to redeem himself with the ex-wife he never stopped loving, even if it means hanging out with the son he never bothered to get to know.
Hamm will also exec produce alongside The Jackal Group’s Gail Berman and Hend Baghdady, Connie Tavel (Judging Amy) and showrunner Chadd Gindin (The Cleveland Show).
It marks the first pilot sale, pilot pick-up and series order for McClelland and Schlissel, who will co-exec produce.
McClelland studied film and animation at Rhode Island School of Design, and then did some contractor work for the U.S. Department of Defense in Baghdad. Schlissel escaped Boca Raton, FL, to study screenwriting in L.A.
The series is fully owned by Fox Entertainment and is produced by Fox’s Bento Box Entertainment.
“I am very excited to be involved in the Fox animation universe. A universe I have been actively watching since the early nineties,” said Hamm. “The opportunity to get to bring a project like Grimsburg to life that is so particular and unique, and to work with its incredibly imaginative and hilarious creators is one I can’t wait to get started with.”
“As we continue to expand our animation brand beyond family comedies, Grimsburg’s wildly funny, bizarre and inventive take on the crime genre makes it the perfect next generation Fox comedy,” added Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment, Fox Entertainment. “And with Jon Hamm front and center as Marvin Flute, the deeply troubled detective with very eclectic taste and opinions, we believe this may finally be Hamm’s breakout role as a leading man.”
“The mystery is solved, Grimsburg is a thoroughly original and comedic take on the small-town crime show trope with a mix of the insatiable Jon Hamm and head-spinning plot twists and turns,” added Gail Berman. “Fox, Bento Box and Grimsburg genius creators, Catlan and Matthew are taking the animation genre to new heights under the wise leadership of our brilliant showrunner Chadd Gindin in this eccentric comedy with a broad appeal. We are thrilled to be a part of this great team.”
Hamm is repped by CAA, Forward Entertainment and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern and McClelland and Schlissel are repped by Code Management and CAA.