HBO is looking to revive late actor-producer James Gandolfini's passion project, Big Dead Place. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the drama is heating up with an eye of going directly into production at the premium cable network. To that end, The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire alum Tim Van Patten has bene hired to serve as director and executive producer on the drama. The drama was first put in development in September 2011, before the Sopranos star's sudden death in June 2013. The work is inspired by Nicholas Johnson's memoir, Big Dead Place: Inside the Strange & Menacing World of Antarctica, about his work in the U.S. Antarctic Program. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the drama was originally eyed as a potential starring vehicle for Gandolfini. It's one of the many Gandolfini-produced dramas left in limbo following the beloved actor's death.
