Showtime’s series reboot of American Gigolo has officially been given the green light, with The Punisher star Jon Bernthal set as the lead.

The long-gestating series has been given a pilot order at Showtime. The show comes from Ray Donovan’s David Hollander, who is slated to be the showrunner for American Gigolo should it receive a full series pickup at the network.

The series will be a reboot of the 1980 film, which was written and directed by Taxi Driver and First Reformed‘s Paul Schrader. In it, Richard Gere played Julian Kaye, a Los Angeles male escort who begins a relationship with the wife of a prominent politician, while also being investigated for murder.

The series has been reimagined for a contemporary LA setting with Jon Bernthal playing the role of Kaye. In this version, Bernthal’s Kaye was arrested for murder 18 years prior to the start of the TV series. The show will follow him as he struggles to find his footing in the LA sex industry while simultaneously seeking out the truth behind the frame-job that led to his imprisonment.

In the midst of all of this, Jon Bernthal’s character will also spend time trying and hoping to reconnect with Michelle, his one true love.

“American Gigolo comes with all the sizzle you’d expect, but it also offers a deep dive into the complicated waters of relationships and sexuality in 2020,” Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks, said in a statement. “We’ve assembled an ‘A’ team to adapt this iconic movie into a Showtime series with the talent and magnetism of Jon Bernthal, the exquisite filmmaking and showrunning of David Hollander, the legendary Jerry Bruckheimer and our new sister studio, Paramount.”

In addition to starring, Jon Bernthal is also slated to produce the show, with Jerry Bruckheimer executive producing alongside Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed.