Nearly ten years since the release of their groundbreaking documentary American Pimp, the Hughes Brothers have signed on to work on a new drama based on the lifestyle they surveyed and brought to the mainstream.
Albert and Allen Hughes will direct the pilot of HBO’s new Gentlemen of Leisure, the story of a legendary pimp attempting to retire.
The show will be set in Oakland, California and is described by writer Evan Reilly as being about a guy who wants to get out, but keeps getting sucked back in by the allure of the game and by extraneous circumstances that have to do with his family.
In addition to the Hughes Brothers and Reilly, Gentlemen of Leisure will be executive produced by Interscope Records Chairman Jimmy Iovine and Polly Anthony, an exec in Interscope’s TV unit.
Iovine was reportedly interested in creating an “urban mob drama” with ties to Hip-Hop when the new project was brought to his attention.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gentlemen of Leisure is expected to have a very strong musical element.
“You’re not going to see a bunch of colorful, goofy 70’s pimps,” Allen Hughes said. “This is a film noir-style urban drama based in rich characters that will explore the human conditions across the board.”
He went on to explain that the series will take a close look at the conflict that exists between old school-pimps and the younger guys who ignore the code created by their predecessors.
The younger generation of pimps are often accused of mixing the pimp lifestyle with a more violent approach, associated with the drug culture.
