Nearly 20 years after the end of his critically praised HBO drama The Sopranos, showrunner David Chase is preparing for a long-awaited return to television with his latest project.
According to Deadline, The Sopranos' creator is currently set to produce a new limited series centered around the infamous CIA human experimentation program, MKUltra.
Based on author John Lisle's nonfiction book Project Mind Control: Sidney Gottlieb, the CIA, and the Tragedy of MKUltra, the series (titled Project: MKUltra) will specifically follow Sidney Gottlieb, the genius chemist who spearheaded the secretive government project.
As amateur historians might know, Gottlieb — also known by his ominous nickname, "The Black Sorcerer" — led a series of experiments on both willing and unwilling subjects to study the effects of mind control.
Using numerous methods of torture and various mind-altering drugs, MKUltra is today remembered as one of the darkest, most twisted programs ever launched by the CIA. Interestingly, it also helped give rise to the LSD countercultural movement of the late 1960s, with Gottlieb often considered the movement's de facto creator.
While details about the show's production, including potential stars and a scheduled release date, are still up in the air, Project: MKUltra will mark Chase's return to the TV industry for the first time in over a decade.
Previously, the showrunner was best known for his work on HBO's breakout sensation, The Sopranos. Set in the mean streets of northeastern New Jersey, the series followed rising Mafia gangster Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) as he tries to find a way to balance out his personal life and prospering career as a career criminal.
Helming the series for a total of six seasons on the network, Chase won a total of five Emmys for his work on The Sopranos, with many considering it one of the most influential TV series of the modern era.
