David Hollander Out As Showrunner Of Showtime's 'American Gigolo' After Probe

EXCLUSIVE, updated: Showtime and Paramount Television Studios are severing ties with one of the network’s most successful showrunners. Ray Donovan‘s David Hollander, the developer, director, executive producer and showrunner of the upcoming Showtime series American Gigolo, produced by sibling Paramount Television Studios, has been let go from the reboot of the popular 1980 movie.

“David Hollander is no longer on the drama series American Gigolo and Paramount Television Studios no longer has a producing relationship with him,” a spokesperson told Deadline in a statement, declining further comment.

According to sources close to the production, the move was made following an investigation into allegations of misconduct. The exact nature of the misconduct is not clear, but sources told Deadline that it involved comments made by Hollander that were not of sexual-harassment nature.

I hear production on the series, headlined by Jon Bernthal, is expected to continue with one of Hollander’s top lieutenants, believed to be co-executive producer David Bar Katz, stepping in as showrunner. (He also had worked with Hollander on Showtime’s Ray Donovan.) The American Gigolo series, produced by Paramount TV Studios with Jerry Bruckheimer Television, is about seven episodes into its 10-episode order, I hear. There had been chatter that production has been running behind, with scripts coming in late, though that is not highly unusual for a series of this caliber.

Hollander wrote and directed the pilot for the new American Gigolo, a present-day reimagining of the iconic 1980 film. Bernthal plays Julian Kaye, who is introduced 15 years after he’s been arrested for murder and struggling to find his footing in the modern-day Los Angeles sex industry, while seeking the truth about the setup that sent him to prison all those years ago and also hoping to reconnect with Michelle, his one true love, played by Gretchen Mol.

The cast also includes Rosie O’Donnell, Lizzie Brocheré, Gabriel LaBelle, Leland Orser and Wayne Brady. Bruckheimer executive produces along with Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed.

At Showtime, Hollander executive produced and served as showrunner for drama Ray Donovan, earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Directing and sharing in a WGA Award nod for best new series. He also co-wrote and directed last year’s Ray Donovan feature-length film, which picked up where Season 7 left off after its surprise cancellation in 2020. Hollander previously created the television series Heartland and The Guardian, which he executive produced and directed multiple episodes.