Milo Ventimiglia lands major role in HBO Max’s cop drama after ‘I Can Only Imagine 2’ — here's what we know
Milo Ventimiglia goes from a beloved patriarch in 'This Is Us' to a cop in his latest. The 'Rocky' star leads the cast in HBO Max's latest, 'American Blue', directed by David Ayer. The pilot is currently in development, with 'Supernatural' showrunner Jeremy Carver writing the script. The official logline reads, "Native son Brian ‘Milk’ Milkovich (Ventimiglia) returns to his hometown of Joliet, Illinois, to rescue a beleaguered police force while seeking redemption of his own.' Milk is described as 'a quietly determined, natural-born leader, hoping to find a second chance in the place he left behind."
Ventimiglia will forever be remembered as Jack Pearson in NBC's hit drama, 'This Is Us'. The show ran for six seasons and was a critical and commercial success. On the other hand, Ayer comes with a decorated CV, including 'Fury', 'Suicide Squad', 'The Beekeeper', and 'Bright'. This will be his second TV gig after directing the pilot and the second episode of Fox's 'Deputy'. Carver also serves as the show's executive producer alongside Brian Udovich and Neil Reynolds. Ventimiglia serves as a co-executive producer.
"American Blue' will take audiences inside a gritty and authentic police drama, reflecting the myriad challenges in policing today," Sarah Aubrey, Head of Max Original Programming, said in the streamer's statement. "As with The Pitt, our goal of longer seasons will allow viewers to sink deeply into this world across multiple episodes and to return to it on an annual basis. We can’t wait for Jeremy Carver’s vision for American Blue to come to life with Milo Ventimiglia in the lead role and David Ayer directing our pilot."
"We are thrilled to have Milo and David join American Blue," seconded Clancy Collins White, President, Creative Affairs, Warner Bros Television. "Milo’s dynamic presence on-screen and David’s keen eye are a perfect match for the complex, character-driven drama that Jeremy created. We look forward to seeing this trio bring Milk’s journey to life." At the time of writing, there is no official word on the release date or the number of episodes in the first installment. What we do know is that the series will follow the same format as 'The Pitt': 15+ episodes per season, a decent budget, and a yearly release. Should 'American Blue' release sometime in the fall this year, the new season (if renewed) will hit the streamer in just over a year.
It has been a while since fans saw Ventimiglia onscreen on TV. He was last seen in the ABC drama 'The Company You Keep', but the series was shelved after a season. On the movie front, the 'Gilmore Girls' star plays Tim Timmons in 'I Can Only Imagine 2', a Christian biopic set to release February 20. Directed by Andrew Erwin and Brent McCorkle, who also serves as the writer, the film is Ventimiglia's first film since 2024 after starring in the action thriller, 'Land of Bad', alongside Liam Hemsworth, Russell Crowe, Luke Hemsworth, and Ricky Whittle.
