Milo Ventimiglia to star in HBO Max cop drama pilot ‘American Blue’

Ventimiglia plays a hometown returnee tasked with saving a struggling police force in the new drama pilot

Milo Ventimiglia has been cast as the lead in American Blue, a new cop drama pilot in development at HBO Max. Filmmaker David Ayer is set to direct the pilot.

The one-hour drama centers on Brian “Milk” Milkovich (Ventimiglia), a native son who returns to his hometown of Joliet, Illinois, to help rebuild a struggling police department while confronting his own troubled past. The character is described as a determined, natural leader searching for redemption in the place he once left behind.

Ventimiglia is best known for his role as Jack Pearson on NBC’s hit drama This Is Us, which aired for six seasons from 2016 to 2022.

The pilot is written by Jeremy Carver, who also serves as executive producer alongside Brian Udovich and Neil Reynolds. Ventimiglia will serve as a co-executive producer, while his producing partner Russ Cundiff is attached as a producer. The project comes from Warner Bros. Television, where Carver is under an overall deal.

Ayer, whose directing credits include Fury and Suicide Squad, brings a gritty, grounded style to the project. HBO Max’s head of original programming Sarah Aubrey said the series aims to explore the modern realities of policing through longer seasons that allow viewers to fully immerse themselves in the world of the show.

Warner Bros. Television president of creative affairs Clancy Collins White praised the pairing of Ventimiglia and Ayer, calling them a strong match for the character-driven drama.