TORONTO — John Leguizamo is heading to Toronto to work as a cab driver.
The actor has signed to star in the pilot of Taxi-22, a potential series for CBS.
He’ll play a politically incorrect New York City cab driver.
Taxi-22 is based on the French Canadian series Taxi 0-22 that ran on Quebec’s TVA from 2007 to 2009 and starred Patrick Huard.
The U.S. version of the show has had a bumpy ride.
Rights to an English remake were picked up in 2010 by actor James Gandolfini’s production company with plans to develop a series for HBO. The cable network later pulled out but CBS picked up the concept in May 2013 — only weeks before Gandolfini died of a heart attack.
CBS drove ahead with plans to shoot a pilot for Taxi-22 in Toronto last March but those plans stalled when the network was unable to secure a suitable leading man.
Now, with Leguizamo on board as star and co-executive producer, cameras are ready to roll on a pilot in March.
Executive producers include Huard and his producing partner François Flamand as well as Tad Quill (Spin City), who wrote the script.
Leguizamo, 50, is no stranger to the streets of Toronto. He worked in the city on 2010’s Repo Men and 2013’s Kick-Ass 2.
Leguizamo also brought his Ghetto Klown show to Toronto in 2010 and has performed at JFL42.
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