EXCLUSIVE: Neve Campbell has been tapped as the lead of Avalon, ABC’s drama series based on Michael Connelly’s short story, from David E. Kelley (Big Sky, Big Little Lies), A+E Studios and 20th Television.
This marks Campbell’s second collaboration with Kelley, Connelly, fellow Avalon executive producer Ross Fineman and A+E Studios. She starred opposite Manuel Garcia-Rulfo in the breakout first season of Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer, another Kelley adaptation of Connelly’s work, which the two exec produce with Fineman through A+E Studios. Campbell is set to continue on The Lincoln Lawyer as a recurring guest star in Season 2.
Avalon, which received a straight-to-series order from ABC, takes place in the city of Avalon on Catalina Island, where L.A. Sheriff’s Department Detective Nicole “Nic” Searcy (Campbell) heads up a small office. Catalina has a local population that serves more than 1 million tourists a year, and each day when the ferries arrive, hundreds of potential new stories enter the island. Detective Searcy is pulled into a career-defining mystery that will challenge everything she knows about herself and the island.
Campbell’s Nic is the lone detective assigned to the LA County Sheriff’s substation on Catalina Island. Somewhat inscrutable, Nic isn’t easily intimidated and holds firm to her morals. Ironically, her strong moral compass is what got her banished to Catalina’s biggest city, Avalon. It’s a gig no career-driven LA cop wants, but Nic soon discovers her valuable detective skills are needed more on Avalon than she could have imagined.
Avalon is created and executive produced by Kelley, who wrote the pilot episode, and Connelly. Dana Calvo executive produces with Fineman of Fineman Entertainment and Barry Jossen & Tana Jamieson for A+E Studios. The series is produced by A+E Studios and 20th Television.
Campbell also is currently filming a recurring role opposite Anthony Mackie in Peacock’s high-profile upcoming series Twisted Metal. On the film side, she most recently reprised her iconic role of Sidney Prescott in Spyglass Media Group and Paramount Pictures’ relaunch of the Scream film franchise. She recently confirmed that she had turned down a Scream 6 return after “feeling undervalued.” Campbell is repped by Gersh, Anonymous Content and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett & Kole.
