Martin Lawrence to return to TV in 'Nehama' adaptation

Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Martin Lawrence will make his return to television in the new series Nehama.

The 56-year-old actor will star in and produce Topic Studios' reimagined, English-language adaptation of the Israeli dark comedy series, according to Deadline.

Variety confirmed Lawrence's casting.

Lawrence will play a happily married father of five who quits his job to pursue stand-up comedy. When his wife suddenly dies, he must decide whether he should pursue his dream and risk losing his kids -- who are lost without their mother.

"Nehama has heart and real-life complications that drew me to the project," Lawrence said in a statement. "I am looking forward to getting back to TV, and this is a perfect fit."

The original series was created by Reshef Levi and Tomer Shani, who also directed the series, and produced by Yoav Gross. Levi, Shani and Gross will work with an American writer on the adaptation and also executive produce.

Topic Studios acquired the rights to Nehama in 2020.

"We're so thrilled that the iconic Martin Lawrence will reimagine Nehama with us," Topic Studios president Maria Zuckerman said. "Just as Reshef Levi hilariously embodied the original namesake character's pathos and idiosyncrasies, we can't wait to see where Martin's immense talent and the creative team take the character in exploring fatherhood and what it takes to lead a fulfilling life."

Nehama will mark Lawrence's first TV role since Marcus Jackson on the FX series Partners. He most recently starred in the Bad Boys II sequel Bad Boys for Life, which opened in theaters in January 2020.