‘Narcos’ José Padilha Eyes Showtime Aryan Prison Drama ‘The Brand’

Pop culture has long made use of gang drama in prison storytelling, though Netflix Narcos producer José Padilha aims to explore its American origins. The prior Robocop director has partnered with The Messenger scribe Alessandro Camon for new Showtime event series The Brand, tracing the rise of prison gangs, especially the Aryan Brotherhood.

According to Deadline, The Brand was inspired by a 2004 New Yorker article from David Grann and follows “the epic tale of the rise of prison gangs, particularly the Aryan Brotherhood, in the 1970s and 1980s, when mass incarceration resulting from the war on drugs caused the prison population to explode.” Both Padilha and Camon will write the series, executive producing with Anthony Mastromauro, and eying Padilha to direct.

The series will consist of ten episodes, according to the report. For his part, Padilha remains aboard Netflix’s Narcos as an executive producer, steering a new team of writers with Eric Newman for the show’s second season, which itself lacks an official showrunner.

It’s certainly a different side of prison storytelling to explore, but will Showtime formally lock up The Brand?