Kaitlin Olson To Headline Drew Goddard’s ‘HIP’ Remake; Rob Thomas Joins ABC Pilot As Showrunner

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia star and Hacks standout Kaitlin Olson has been tapped as the lead of ABC character-based procedural drama pilot based on TF1’s popular detective series HIP (High Intellectual Potential), from top TV and film writer Drew Goddard and ABC Signature, where Goddard and his Goddard Textiles are based.

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Olson also will serve as a producer on the high-profile pilot, which has added Veronica Mars creator Rob Thomas as executive producer and showrunner and prolific TV helmer Alethea Jones (Mrs. Davis) as director and executive producer.

Written by Goddard, the untitled HIP remake centers on Morgan (Olson), a single mom with three kids and an exceptional mind who helps solve an unsolvable crime when she rearranges some evidence during her shift as a cleaner for the police department. When they discover she has a knack for putting things in order because of her high intellectual potential she is brought on as a consultant to work with a by-the-book seasoned detective, and together they form an unusual and unstoppable team.

Here are more details about Olson’s character: Morgan leads a chaotic, hand-to-mouth existence in spite of (or because of) her IQ of 160. Assertive, fearless and possessed with a serious anti-authority streak, Morgan is able to spot details that others ignore as the white noise of life.

In the original French series Haut Potentiel Intellectuel (HPI), created by Alice Chegaray-Breugnot, Stéphane Carrié and Nicolas Jean, the lead was played by Audrey Fleurot.

Goddard and Sarah Esberg executive produce the ABC adaptation for Goddard Textiles; Thomas and Dan Etheridge for Spondoolie Productions; and Pierre Laugier and Anthony Lancret for Itinéraire Productions, a UGC company.

ABC has found success with light hourlong procedurals headlined by stars with comedic chops like The Rookie, starring Nathan Fillion, and its spinoff The Rookie: Feds, toplined by Niecy Nash-Betts.

Olson is best known for her starring role on FX’s It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the longest-running live-action comedy series on television, which is in production on Season 16. Years ago, the stars of the popular series started to branch out, being able to headline other shows while continuing on the FX stalwart. Olson previously played the lead in Fox’s comedy series The Mick. She also recurs on HBO Max’s comedy series Hacks, for which she was nominated for an Emmy in 2022, and is in production on Season 3.

Olson, who also will be seen in the upcoming film Champions for Focus Features, is repped by UTA.

Thomas, who also co-created the series Party Down, which is being revived by Starz, and iZombie, is repped by UTA and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.

Jones recently directed the pilot and was an executive producer/producing director on Paramount+’s upcoming Grease offshoot series Rise of the Pink Ladies. Additionally, she served as an executive producer and directed episodes of Mrs. Davis for Peacock. In features, Jones will direct the musical feature Be More Chill, based on the novel and the Broadway musical, for Hulu/20th Century Studios, with Shawn Levy and Greg Berlanti producing. She is repped by UTA, Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment and Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler Feldman & Clark.

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