Deadline is reporting that Megan Abbott and Lisa Lutz are joining fellow crime writers George Pelecanos and Richard Price for THE DEUCE, HBO’s upcoming series set in the world of 1970s porn in NYC Times Square. It appears the series will begin as pornography is legalized and follow the rise of the industry. David Simon (THE WIRE, TREME)  and actor James Franco are producing.

Set in the ’70s and ’80s, “The Deuce” tells the story of the legalization and subsequent rise of the porn industry in New York’s Times Square. It explores the rough-and-tumble world that existed there before the rise of HIV, the violence of the cocaine epidemic and the renewed real estate market that ended the bawdy turbulence.

James  Franco will play real life brothers Vincent and Frankie Martino, the pair are the inspiration for the series. Maggie Gyllenhaal is playing Candy, a prostitute that sees the new industry as a way to improve her lot in life.  Margarita Levieva, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Dominique Fishback, Emily Mead and Gary Carr, along with Franco and Gyllenhaal, appear to be the primary cast and, according to IMDB, will appear in all ten episodes. The series, to be shot on location in NYC, is currently in pre-production.

Megan is award-winning author of seven novels, including DARE ME and THE FEVER. Lisa Lutz is best known for her humorous THE SPELLMAN FILES books, but has written ten overall, including the children’s book HOW TO NEGOTIATE EVERYTHING.

Abbott, Lutz, Simon, Pelecanos and Price, that is one hell of a talented writing crew. While the subject matter (1970s porn) is not an instant draw for me, the incredible batch of writers certainly does.