Full Breakdown
David E. Kelley to Adapt Michael Connelly’s *Nightshade* as *Welcome To Catalina* for HBO Max
5/28/2026, 4:14:12 AM
New Adaptation Announced: *Welcome To Catalina*
David E. Kelley is adapting Michael Connelly’s 2024 bestseller *Nightshade* for television. The series, titled Welcome To Catalina, is in development at HBO Max under the streamer’s drama-procedural model, which targets yearly returns with sizable orders and moderate budgets.
Background: Prior Connelly Adaptations and the Catalina Island Concept
Kelley previously created Netflix’s *The Lincoln Lawyer* from Connelly’s *The Brass Verdict* and adapted Connelly’s short story *Avalon*. An earlier effort to set a Connelly-based cop drama on Catalina Island was in development at ABC, featuring a female L.A. Sheriff’s Department detective played by Neve Campbell; that project did not move forward.
Key Personnel and Production Partners
- David E. Kelley – writer and executive producer
- Matt Tinker – President, David E. Kelley Productions, executive producer
- Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson – A+E Studios (The Lincoln Lawyer team)
- Ross Fineman – Ross Fineman Entertainment
- Michael Connelly – author of the source novel
- HBO Max – lead studio
- A+E Studios – co-studio
Series Premise
The narrative follows Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell, who has been “exiled” to a low-key post policing rustic Catalina Island. While handling routine disturbances, Stilwell receives a report of a body weighed down at the harbor’s bottom, launching the central investigation.
Production Model and Episode Commitment
HBO Max’s drama-procedural model, introduced by the Emmy-winning medical drama *The Pitt*, commissions 15 episodes per year. All projects under this model are assigned to creators who have delivered 20 + episodes per season, emphasizing extensive broadcast experience.
Industry Implications
*Welcome To Catalina* expands HBO Max’s procedural slate, joining pilots such as the cop drama *American Blue* and family drama *How To Survive Without Me*. The series illustrates the platform’s strategy to secure annual, mid-budget procedural content anchored by veteran showrunners.
Official Statements & Production Details
Kelley executive-produces the series with Matt Tinker. The production also involves A+E Studios’ Barry Jossen and Tana Jamieson, Ross Fineman, and Michael Connelly. HBO Max serves as the lead studio, with A+E Studios as co-studio. The announcement coincides with Kelley Productions’ current slate, which includes *The Lincoln Lawyer*, Apple TV’s *Margo’s Got Money Troubles* and *Presumed Innocent* (both entering Season 2), HBO’s *Big Little Lives* (approaching a third season), and the forthcoming Netflix series *Myron Bolitar*.
Upcoming Development
The adaptation was announced in May 2026. As part of HBO Max’s procedural pipeline, *Welcome To Catalina* is slated for further development this year, with production timelines to be detailed by the studios in subsequent updates.
*All information is drawn exclusively from the provided source material.*
