Launching a relatively unconventional first production, ICU has partnered with Mystery Writers of America “grand master” Max Allan Collins (ROAD TO PERDITION) to produce a fully immersive, serialized audio drama based on his best-selling novel True Detective. The novel is the first of nineteen detective/crime novels featuring Collins’s “detective to the stars” Nathan Heller and is set in 1932 Chicago.
The ten-episode audio drama TRUE NOIR: The Assassination of Anton Cermak presents a crafty mystery wrapped around the events and historical figures swirling around the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair and the murder of the city’s mayor, Anton Cermak by the Capone/Nitti mob during a political rally in Miami.
Re-defining the audio drama
The production features a large cast of actors known from the world of television and film, original music, and lush soundscapes recorded and mixed in 5.1 surround sound.
Robert Meyer Burnett
“All in all, we’re producing nearly 6-1/2 hours of audio drama featuring fan-favorite actors and a tight storyline written by one of the premier crime fiction writers of the genre,” said ICU Co-Founder and Creative Director, Robert Meyer Burnett, who is producing the project and serving as its director as well.
“We differ from most audiobooks and podcasts because we’re taking a completely cinematic approach to what we’re doing,” explains Burnett when asked how this production differs from other audio productions available online and in stores.
“While we’re making a fully immersive audio drama, we’re attacking the storytelling from an entirely cinematic perspective. We’re starting with a feature film quality script and then approaching all the storytelling as if you’re experiencing your favorite film or streaming series.”
“We’re using state-of-the-art recording and mixing technologies identical to those used in the biggest blockbusters and destination streaming series. We also have an entirely original soundtrack, composed by Alexander Bornstein.”
Making all the pieces fit together – on time and under budget
“And unlike most voice-over recordings, we’ve handled this project much more like a stage production, letting actors work and record entire scenes in small groups – even when those groups are located in studios around the world.”
“We have nearly three-quarters of the voice recording already in the can and are editing together all ten episodes right now,” continued Burnett.
“We have a few more performers to get down on their own tracks, and then we’ll record all of the crowd scenes and background lines by mid-July. Our goal is to have the entire production wrapped and available for download from every major podcasting platform and our own website by the end of September.”
“It’s pretty remarkable when you think about it. We came up with this idea last August – so from that first lunch meeting to people playing this on their stereo, it will have taken just 14 months.”
A cast of legends and a panel of stars
Cast members for TRUE NOIR: The Assassination of Anton Cermak include Adam Arkin, Barry Bostwick, PJ Byrne, Corey Cameron, Kris Carr, Jeffrey Combs, Rob Roy Fitzgerald, Saverio Guerra, C. Thomas Howell, Louis Lombardi, Don McManus, Bill Mumy, Vincent Pastore, Katee Sackhoff, William Sadler, Bill Smitrovich, Jesse Spenser, Renee Taylor, with Anthony LaPaglia (as Al Capone), and David Straitham (as Frank Nitti).
Additional cast and role assignments will be announced at a later date.
Producer Christine Sheaks, who brings more than 30 years’ experience as a casting director to the project, has assembled an amazing cast of acting talent to voice the roles of characters and historical figures who play prominently in the ten-episode series.
“We’ll have a number of our actors participating in our Comic-Con panel,” explained Burnett. “And I’ll be hosting the hour-long discussion along with Max Collins who will join us via video from his writing nook in Iowa where he’s hard at work on another ICU project (as yet unannounced).”
Get a sneak peek and save a bundle
For fans of true crime podcasts, detective stories, or radio dramas, ICU has set up a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter that provides an in-depth look at the project, nearly daily updates on progress, and opportunities to pre-order the series at a discount off the price the series will command when it debuts.
Mike Bawden
“People can back this project for as little as $5, but they can also pre-order the digital download (the two-channel stereo mix) for an additional $20, which is only 2/3rds of the price of the series when it debuts at the end of September.”
“In addition to the digital download, we’ll be offering the series in a variety of physical media formats. We’ll be producing a Blu-Ray which will feature various mixes and extra video features for only $45.”
“There are a number of other perks for fans who want to get “inside” this project – from posters and lobby cards to Zoom calls with the director and writer and more. All of the proceeds generated through the crowdfunding campaign will go toward paying off the cost of production.”
Bawden elaborates on ICU’s crowdfunding strategy: “At $30,000, we’ve set the crowdfunding target fairly low, because we’ve already lined up funds to pay for the production as we go – so everything is getting made regardless of the final amount generated on Kickstarter. But what’s important for this project – and every project ICU launches – is that we want to give fans ways to become insiders on the projects that interest them most and maybe even participate in the production process at some level.”
“Fans want to possess their own piece of the things they love, and we think that once people hear what we’ve produced, they’ll love it and want to be a part of it.”
The crowdfunding campaign to pre-sell subscriptions to the ten-episode series runs through September 13.
Latest about TRUE NOIR …
ICU, LLC enters into a production agreement with author Max Alan Collins
ICU, LLC has entered into a production agreement with best-selling author Max Allan Collins (ROAD TO PERDITION, MS. TREE) to develop his Nathan Heller series of detective/crime novels for various media.