Taylor Sheridan created the Golden Globe-winning Western Yellowstone in 2018, which became a pop culture phenomenon and launched an entire franchise that continues on to this day with Marshals and Dutton Ranch. A year later, Guy Ritchie released his crime drama The Gentlemen and then expanded the world with an Emmy-nominated Netflix series in 2024.
Taking the family dynasty elements of Yellowstone and the criminal underworld aspects of The Gentlemen, FX is developing S.A. Cosby's King of Ashes novel as a TV show, according to Deadline. Elgin James is spearheading the project as executive producer with Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey and Todd Cohen, and production companies Amblin, Higher Ground and 20th Television.
King of Ashes was published a year ago in October 2025. Roman Carruthers, the protagonist in the crime thriller, discovers that his father was involved in a hit-and-run and is now comatose. After this horrific incident, he heads back to Virginia to help his family's crematorium business. Once there, Roman realizes that his family is in danger due to his brother's criminal debts.
Before King of Ashes, Cosby had written novels like My Darkest Prayer, Blacktop Wasteland, Razorblade Tears and All the Sinners Bleed, and multiple children's books. He recently released Truth to Power: A Luke Cage Marvel Crime Novel, which centers on the Marvel superhero character.
Several of Cosby's novels are currently being adapted for the screen, with All the Sinners Bleed expected to be released as a limited series on Netflix sometime next year. Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland are reportedly being turned into movies. Now King of Ashes is getting its own adaptation.
Executive producer James previously co-created Sons of Anarchy spinoff Mayans M.C. with Kurt Sutter, and wrote and directed several episodes throughout the show's five-season run. He also co-created Prime Video's The Outlaws with Stephen Merchant. For his work helming the movie Little Birds, James was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
King of Ashes isn't the only project James is working on right now. He's also filming Hulu's Prison Break reboot with cast members Emily Browning, Drake Rodgers, Lukas Gage, Clayton Cardenas, Georgie Flores, Myles Bullock and Kelli Berglund. The original Prison Break aired for four seasons and wrapped with a TV movie before being revived in 2017.
As for King of Ashes, the Cosby adaptation is still very early in the development process, so there are no actors attached to the series just yet.
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