The upcoming ABC series National Parks will no longer feature Kevin Costner.
Deadline reported that Costner’s National Parks series that he pitched will be moving forward without him. ABC issued a pilot order for the untitled project based on the National Parks which came from A+E Studios.
Kevin Costner originally co-wrote and executive produced the project back in July 2021. However, now Rashad Raisani will be taking his place. Raisani served as an executive producer on the Fox drama, 9-1-1: Lone Star. He also worked on USA Network’s Burn Notice, where he got his start. He apparently will be giving the pilot a fresh new take.
The series will be set in the parks but as a scripted show that has been described as soapy.
“It revolves around the tangled, messy lives of the agents who work for the ISB — an elite law-enforcement unit responsible for solving all serious crimes that occur in our country’s 81,000 square miles of protected land,” the outlet reported.
Raisani will be executive producing the show alongside Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson and 20th Television.
The network first ordered the pilot back in February of 2021. Costner, Aaron Helbing, and Jon Baird created the first version. Anthony Hemingway was going to direct the project.
This is just one of ABC’s seven pilots this season. The other two dramas include The Company You Keep and L.A. Law.
Kevin Costner and National Parks Original Story
The Hollywood Reporter stated last year that the National Parks and Kevin Costner project was two years in the making. The network cited the pandemic as the reason that they could not film the pilot at the time. Another reason was because of “extended options on the drama from showrunner Aaron Helbing.”
Additionally, the original series summary told a slightly different story. And the title of the show was just going to be National Parks.
“National Parks revolves around the small group of elite NPS agents as they solve these crimes while protecting these national treasures.”
Furthermore, at first, Costner, Helbing, and Jon Baird were set to co-write the script. They were going to executive produce the series alongside A+E Studios president Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson. Costner’s Territory Pictures Entertainment was also involved in the series creation. Anthony Hemingway was set to direct the pilot episode and executive direct it.
“Our partners at ABC, 20th Television and A+E Studios have given me a great environment to step out of my comfort zone and deliver something special,” Costner said of the show.
