HBO Taps Danny McBride and John Goodman for ‘The Righteous Gemstones’

Danny McBride stays pretty busy, not only as an actor, but also behind the scenes as a writer, director, and producer. McBride has already made two comedy hits for HBO: Eastbound and Down and Vice Principals, and he’s currently working on bringing another comedy pilot to the premium network. The Righteous Gemstones, a comedy about a greedy televangelist family, has a pilot order from HBO. McBride will star, and John Goodman himself is also attached to the project.

The Righteous Gemstones is written and directed by McBride, who will also produce alongside longtime collaborators Jody Hill and David Gordon Green. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it is “the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed, and charitable work, all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Goodman will play family patriarch Eli Gemstone, a no-nonsense televangelist who’s star is beginning to fade. McBride will play his son, Jesse, who sees himself as a “maverick” preacher and the next evolution of his family’s ministry.

With this premise and casting on hand, it seems likely that this pilot has a shot at moving to a full series order. Goodman especially has some serious range, and can deftly move between comedy and drama without a hitch. And it wouldn’t come a moment too soon for HBO: two of their biggest shows, Game of Thrones and Veep, are both approaching their final seasons. Another big, mainstream hit could help patch the holes in the network when those shows are in the rear view mirror.

Goodman is also signed to star in ABC’s upcoming Roseanne-less Roseanne spinoff, The Conners. There is no word yet on when the pilot for The Righteous Gemstones would premiere on HBO, but stay tuned to The Nerd Stash for any details that might surface.