ABC has a new crime drama on the horizon, although the project is still quite early in the production stages.
It’s not hard to see where the title, Will Trent, for the show came from!
The project is, after all, based on the bestselling series of novels from American crime writer Karin Slaughter: the Will Trent series which currently has 10 installments published!
This wasn’t the first attempt to adapt Slaughter’s crime novels, so fans are eagerly awaiting for ABC’s drama to make it onto their screens.
Will Trent hit the ground running back in February 2022 when the project received a cast-contingent pilot order from the network.
This meant that it would be given the green light to continue depending on who they would cast for the series lead role.
Casting was then essentially a make-or-break decision, and it looks like it made it!
In August, Will Trent was picked up to series and joined three other ABC drama productions to receive the series order.
With that, here’s everything you need to know about ABC’s Will Trent!
Who’s in charge?
The series comes from Liz Heldens (creator of The Big Leap) and Dan Thomsen (from Batwoman) who also worked together on Fox’s The Passage.
Heldens and Thomsen are also credited with writing the pilot episode and are executive producers alongside Oly Obyst and Slaughter herself.
Directing the pilot, as well as executive producing, is Paul McGuigan.
Heldens is under an overall deal with 20th Television and hence, is the studio backing the production.
What’s Will Trent about?
The eponymous character Will Trent is a Special Agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI).
He was abandoned at birth and had a rough childhood being transferred throughout Atlanta’s “overwhelmed foster care system”, according to this snippet from Deadline.
As an adult, he now uses these experiences and his “unique point of view to make sure no one is abandoned like he was”.
Now, he’s in a high-clearance position within the GBI.
Originally, the creators were hoping for the story’s events to play out over several episodes, but it seems like we can expect standalone episodes instead, similar to other crime procedurals.
Who will we see?
The cast contingency was very soon lifted after receiving the pilot order, as Ramón Rodríguez was approached to play the lead character just a few weeks later.
Will Trent is gifted and a loner, and he never lets the consequence of his childhood trauma affect the way he works.
Following Rodríguez’ casting, Erika Christensen was cast to play Angie, Will’s childhood friend from foster care and now on-and-off girlfriend; she’s also a cop with the Atlanta PD.
Jake McLaughlin will play Michael, another detective in the APD.
Iantha Richardson will play Faith, a detective and Will’s partner who was born and raised in a law enforcement family.
Lastly, Sonja Sohn will play Will’s boss at the GBI, Amanda, who has a hard personality but always has a soft spot for Will.
Will Trent is set to premiere on Tuesday, January 3rd following The Rookie and The Rookie: Feds crossover event.