Benicio del Toro & Patricia Arquette To Topline Ben Stiller’s ‘Clinton Correctional’ Nearing Limited Series Order At Showtime

We hear Showtime is close to giving a limited series order to Ben Stiller’s Escape At Clinton Correctional, with Oscar winners Benicio del Toro (Traffic) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) attached to star. Stiller is set as an executive producer and is expected to direct all eight episodes. We also hear del Toro and Arquette are still in negotiations, but their deals are expected to close soon. Showtime declined comment.

Written and executive produced by Brett Johnson (Mad Men) and Michael Tolkin (The Player), Escape at Clinton Correctional is based on the prison break in upstate New York in the summer of 2015, which spawned a massive manhunt for convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat. The duo were aided in their escape by a married female prison employee with whom they both became sexually entangled.

Del Toro will play convicted murderer Matt. Arquette will play Tilly Mitchell, who supervises the prison tailor shop. The casting of David Sweat will be announced shortly.

Johnson and Tolkin met while working as writers on Showtime original series Ray Donovan.

In addition to Stiller, Johnson and Tolkin, executive producers include Bryan Zuriff (Steve Jobs, Ray Donovan), three-time Oscar nominee Michael De Luca (Captain Phillips, The Social Network, Fifty Shades of Grey) via Michael De Luca Productions, and Nicky Weinstock for Stiller’s Red Hour Productions.