Matthew Rhys to star in new 'Perry Mason' drama

Jan. 14 (UPI) -- The Americans alum Matthew Rhys is set to star in a new version of the TV drama Perry Mason, executive producer Robert Downey Jr. announced Monday.

"Now it seems to me the place to start is at the beginning. Perry Mason," Downey Jr. tweeted. "And it seems to me the beginning of any great project is casting my new best friend Matthew Rhys. Robert Downey Jr. Executive Producer."

The post included the image of a screenplay coverpage with Rhys' name emblazoned across it. The photo revealed the script was written by Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald.

"1932, Los Angeles," a synopsis from the network said. "While the rest of the country recovers from the Great Depression, this city is booming! Oil! Olympic Games! Talking Pictures! Evangelical Fervor! And a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong! Based on characters created by Erle Stanley Gardner, this limited series follows the origins of American Fiction's most legendary criminal defense lawyer, Perry Mason. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason's relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and just maybe, a pathway to redemption for himself."

Rhys won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor Sunday for his performance in The Americans, which wrapped its sixth and final season in May. Downey Jr. is an actor best known for his work in the Avengers film franchise. He is also a prolific producer alongside his wife Susan Downey.

The original Perry Mason series ran 1957-66 and starred Raymond Burr as the title character.