AMC Development Updates: ‘Bannerman’ Spy Drama Advances To Writers Room, ‘Point Break’ Reboot Eyes Greenlight, ‘Grapes Of Wrath’ Gets Co-Writer

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AMC Global Media’s 2026 upfront provided updates on three high-profile AMC Studios series in development: Bannerman, Point Break and the first installment in the new Great American Stories anthology, The Grapes of Wrath.

‘Bannerman’

AMC Studios has opened a writers room for Bannerman, a series for AMC and AMC+ based on the popular Bannerman spy novels by bestselling author John Maxim.

The studio announced in January 2023 that it had acquired the rights to Maxim’s books to develop for TV with Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) and Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead Universe), who has had a longtime deal at AMC Studios, attached to executive produce, and Brian Witten co-executive producing. Black is also set to direct.

Craig Silverstein has since come on board as creator and showrunner and is overseeing the writers room. He previously was writer, executive producer and showrunner on the AMC series Turn: Washington’s Spies and Pantheon and most recently was executive producer and co-showrunner on Percy Jackson and the Olympians for Disney+.

The Bannerman series, which spans five books, centers on charismatic ex-spy John Bannerman. Retired from that gritty and suspenseful world, Bannerman finds himself living in a quiet suburban town but soon is pulled back into the life he’s trying to escape.

‘Point Break’

As Deadline reported exclusively in December, AMC Studios is developing a TV series based on the 1991 film Point Break that starred Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. The studio is working with Alcon Entertainment, which produced the hit film, on the project, which AMC landed in a competitive situation.

The project, written and executive produced by Dave Kalstein (Treadstone), has been progressing, and, if all goes well, AMC expects to be in production on Season 1 in Australia later this year for a 2027 premiere.

The story picks up 25 years after the ending of the movie and is centered on a dangerous new heist crew with ties to the notorious Ex-Presidents gang.

‘Great American Stories’

At last year’s Upfront Content Showcase, AMC announced an anthology series, Great American Stories, starting with The Grapes of Wrath, based on the John Steinbeck novel, as the first installment.

At the time, Rolin Jones was set to adapt The Grapes of Wrath and work with different creative talent on subsequent seasons, and Mark Johnson (AMC’s Anne Rice Immortal Universe) came on board to oversee the franchise. Both are under deals with AMC Studios.

Jones, who has been busy writing and showrunning AMC Studios’ The Vampire Lestat, which premieres June 7 on AMC and AMC+, now will be co-writing The Grapes of Wrath with Brett C. Leonard (Fear the Walking Dead), working with Johnson. Jill Gillette is an executive producer on The Grapes of Wrath alongside the trio.

The plan is for The Grapes of Wrath to start production by the end of the year and debut in 2027.

Per AMC, Great American Stories is an anthology series where each season “will be devoted to a different celebrated work, historical moment or individual narrative celebrating and highlighting the American spirit.”