Jude Law is set to star as legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly in a new TV series.
The series will focus on how Shankly helped to turn the Reds into a global football juggernaut.
Writer Jack Thorne, 47, is behind the show, hoping that he can draw on the success of his previous mini-series Adolescence.
Former Scotland international Shankly arrived at Anfield in 1959, having previously managed Carlisle, Grimsby, Workington, and Huddersfield.
He oversaw a vast period of success, helping Liverpool to win the Second Division, three First Division titles, two F.A. Cups and four Charity Shields.
But his crowning achievement was guiding the Reds to win the UEFA Cup in 1973, completing the double that season.
Shankly remained with Liverpool until 1974, dying just seven years later at the age of 68, with fans continuing to remember him as one of the club’s finest individuals.
Reds chairman Tom Werner, 76, has suggested that future series could extend the narrative beyond Shankly’s tenure as he broke the news that Tottenham fan Law, 53, had been cast to Deadline.
Werner said: “It’s a story about family and relationships through the lens of a football club.
“My feeling is, if you do nothing more in that first episode than show 50,000 people singing You’ll Never Walk Alone, I defy anyone who won’t be moved by that one scene.
“Bill Shankly understood that it wasn’t just about finding the best talent on the team.
“It was about forging a connection with a fan base, and the reason that Liverpool is so special to me is that the relationship between the club and its supporters is really unique.”
Shankly’s granddaughter, Karen Gill, is set to be involved in production with Box To Box Films, with shooting taking place across Liverpool and Anfield.
Writer Thorne, himself a Liverpool fan, is hoping the show can represent the strong relationship between the city and the football club.
Thorne said: “We have a chance with this show to celebrate both a magnificent football club and a magnificent city, whilst being honest about the struggles of the 1960s and 1970s in one of our industrial heartlands.”
He has already written the first two episodes with discussions between broadcasters and streaming services now underway.
Law’s love of Spurs comes from his grandfather Eric Law.
The Hollywood superstar, 53, has been a regular at the home games since his first match back in 1981.
