HBO Sets 'Lewis and Clark' Miniseries

HBO will team with Tom Hanks to create a miniseries around explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the network said Friday.

Lewis and Clark, based on the book Undaunted Courage by Stephen A. Ambrose, will star Casey Affleck and Matthias Schoenaerts as the American explorers.

The six-hour miniseries will be executive-produced by Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Tim Kelly and Adam Leipzig for HBO.

“In Lewis and Clark, we can see American idealism and the breathtaking natural beauty of the continent, as well as the complexities and tragedies of what came to be known as America’s ‘manifest destiny’,” said HBO programing president Michael Lombardo in a statement. “We are tremendously excited to bring together this incredible group of talents to tell a seminal American story.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.