The Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves stars reunite for Civil War series The Gray House.
Thirty-one years after Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman led the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the two Oscar-winners are teaming again as executive producers for The Gray House, a six-hour limited-run Civil War drama. The series is scheduled to start filming in Spring 2023 under the direction of Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields, Texas Rising) for Paramount Global.
Based on oft-overlooked historical events, The Gray House focuses on the efforts of an all-female spy ring — consisting of a Richmond socialite and her daughter, a formerly enslaved Black woman, and a courtesan — to gather invaluable information about the Confederate High Command. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant himself credited these unlikely secret agents with helping the North win the Civil War.
Costner’s Territory Pictures – the same outfit involved with his currently-in-production filming Horizon — is teaming with Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment and Big Dreams Entertainment’s founder Leslie Greif to produce the series, which was scripted by Greif and Darrell Fetty (The Offer, Texas Rising) and Oscar nominee John Sayles (Eight Men Out, Lone Star).
“The Gray House is an untold true story about three courageous abolitionist heroes of the Civil War who happened to be women,” said Costner told the Deadline showbiz website. “Because I am passionate about history, it is always a personal experience for me to share rich, layered stories about America’s unsung heroes. I’m delighted to join forces with my friends Leslie Greif and Morgan Freeman, with whom I’ve had great success in the past, to produce this important, epic saga.”
Freeman and McCreary added: “Morgan and I are thrilled to bring to life the story of Mary Bowser, who volunteered to be a slave and was placed in the ‘Confederate White House’ (also known as The Grey House). Everyone thought her illiterate, so they spoke freely in front of her. Thanks to her photographic memory, she was able to send battle reports and secret information to the Union army and helped turn the tide of the Civil War. Revelations is about uncovering the truth, and that truth must be uncovered!”
And Greif said: “I’ve found tremendous success in exploring subjects that audiences have heard of, but maybe don’t know the whole story as with The Offer, Hatfields & The McCoys and Sun Records. The Gray House fits that mold – everyone knows the Civil War, but don’t know the impact that many women had on the outcome. I’m so thrilled and fortunate that Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary have put their passion, clout and heart into getting this miniseries greenlit. In addition, having the power and reach that Paramount put into launching The Offer ensures The Gray House is in stellar hands.”