'City Of Fire': Apple Orders Series From Creators Of 'Gossip Girl'

Apple has confirmed the order of a new series named "City on Fire," which will be based on a novel of the same title by Garth Risk Hallberg.

The series, which will debut on Apple TV+, will be written and executive produced by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, who have worked together in popular series such as "Gossip Girl," "The OC" and "Looking for Alaska."

Named one of the best books of 2015 by the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue and Los Angeles Times, "City on Fire" starts with the fatal shooting of NYU student Samantha Cicciaro in Central Park on July 4, 2003.

“Samantha Cicciaro is alone; there are no witnesses and very little physical evidence. Her friends’ band is playing her favorite downtown club but she leaves to meet someone, promising to return. She never does. As the crime against Samantha is investigated, she’s revealed to be the crucial connection between a series of mysterious citywide fires, the downtown music scene, and a wealthy uptown real estate family fraying under the strain of the many secrets they keep,” reads the synopsis released by Apple TV.

"City on Fire" marks Schwartz and Savage’s first deal with Apple under their Fake Empire Productions banner. The "Gossip Girl" duo, whose current projects include the "Gossip Girl" reboot, "Dynasty" and "Nancy Drew," will pen all the eight episodes of the series and will be at the helm of its production. Lis Rowinski of Fake Empire will also executive produce the series.

It remains unclear who will star in the "City of Fire" series or when it will make its global debut on Apple TV+.

Meanwhile, "City on Fire" is just one of the dozens of shows to join the streaming service’s growing lineup of Apple Original series. Other titles that have been announced by Apple Studios so far include "The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray," "Killers of the Flower Moon" by Martin Scorsese, "Emancipation" by Antoine Fuqua, "In with the Devil" by Dennis Lehane, "Snow Blind" by Gustav Moller, "Swan Song," and "Masters of the Air."

Photo: The CW