The Envoy was created by Hawley (pictured left) and was inspired by the June 2024 Vanity Fair story by journalist and producer Adam Ciralsky (pictured right) about Roger Carstens and his team at the State Department, who spent the past four years brought home seventy American hostages.
Lionsgate TV acquired the rights to the article shortly after it was published online on May 29 for Hawley and Ciralsky, who co-produce the Netflix spy series The Recruit.
In the marketplace, the pitch got an unexpected boost from the successful 24-person, multi-country trade involving Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal. As the August 2 WSJ story about the complex operation revealed, Carstens played a key role.
In a bidding situation between Netflix and Hulu, the project ended up with the Disney streamer.
The Envoy follows one fictional hostage scenario per season. The article that inspired it provides an in-depth look at the U.S. government's commitment to freeing hostages. Ciralsky provides a detailed overview of a year with Carstens, the liaison for freeing American prisoners held by world figures such as Vladimir Putin and Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela. Ciralsky witnessed negotiations, interviewed dozens of officials and was present at successful and unsuccessful hostage rescue missions.
“It’s an honor to create a show based on Adam’s riveting article, fictionalizing the high-stakes, exhaustive and emotional efforts to bring America’s hostages home,” Hawley said when The Envoy was announced as being in development at Lionsgate TV in June.
Hawley produces through his Perfectman Pictures. Ciralsky and Gene Klein are producing under the P3 Media banner.
Hawley's The Rookie, also produced by Lionsgate TV and ABC Signature, is entering its seventh season on ABC; The Recruit returns for season two on Netflix. P3's upcoming feature film Take No Prisoners focuses on Washington's efforts to free Americans held hostage abroad.
