HBO Greenlights Scorsese’s Boardwalk Empire

HBO has given a greenlight to the Martin Scorsese-produced period drama Boardwalk Empire. The cable network has picked up 11 episodes of the drama, bringing the total order to 12 hours, including the pilot.

Written by Terence Winter, Boardwalk Empire is set in 1920 at the dawn of Prohibition and chronicles the life and times of Nucky Thompson, the undisputed ruler of Atlantic City, who was equal parts politician and gangster. Steve Buscemi stars as Thompson, who is described as “equal parts politician and gangster.”

In addition to Buscemi, the cast of the pilot also included Michael Pitt, Kelly MacDonald, Michael Shannon, Stephen Graham, Vincent Piazza, Aleksa Palladino, Paul Sparks, Shea Whigham, Anthony Laciura, Michael Kenneth Williams, Dabney Coleman, Michael Stuhlbarg and Paz de la Huerta.

Scorsese and Winter are executive producing the series with Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson and Tim Van Patten. Production on the series is slated to begin this fall for a 2010 premiere. Scorsese is expected to continue to be creatively involved and may direct another episode of the show, subject to his availability.