Jane

Though pilot season has come and gone, there are still a few first episodes that have yet to be filmed and eventually decided upon. While NBC has Mockingbird Lane, TNT has the high profile pilot of L.A. Noir. The first episode has been confirmed as officially wrapped, but it’s unclear whether or not it will make it to air. Now, it seems Darabont is starting to field a possible cast, and may have just found an important role to be filled.

THR reports that HBO’s Hung star Thomas Jane is currently in talks to join L.A. Noir in the role of gangster Bugsy Siegel. It’s said that should TNT choose to pick up the pilot to series, Jane could be edited into the first episode. The role was originally set to be in the pilot, but Jane met some scheduling issues that made him unavailable.

The series is described as “a fast-paced period thriller based on the acclaimed novel by the same name, centering on the 1940s/50s-era epic battle between determined Los Angeles Police Chief William Parker (played by Justified’s Neil McDonough) and boxer-turned-mobster Mickey Cohen.” While it seems like the premise for the upcoming film Gangster Squad, Cohen’s real life dealing have been the subject of plenty Noir adaptations recently, as he’s shown up in the video game L.A. Noire as well.

The cast currently includes Milo Ventimiglia, Jon Bernthal, and Alexa Davalos, with Walking Dead alumni Jeffrey DeMunn and Andrew Rothenberg. Simon Pegg will guest star in the pilot episode in a currently unspecified role.