Ted Lasso this isn’t — Jude Law cast in A24 soccer show from Adolescence creator

Here’s one that’s bound to set off the football obsessives and the costume drama lot in equal measure. Jude Law is strapping on his best Scouse accent and heading to Anfield — not literally, but for a new TV series that sounds properly ambitious. If you’ve ever wanted Succession-sized family drama mixed with ’60s football lore, this should be on your radar.

From the creator of Adolescence… and A24

The show doesn’t have a title yet, but what we do know: it’s cooked up by Jack Thorne (of Adolescence and about a million other British drama credits), and backed by A24 alongside UK sports doc kings Box To Box Films. Law is set to play Bill Shankly — Liverpool FC’s legendary manager and the man who, frankly, yanked them up from obscurity into genuine European powerhouse status.

Club chairman Tom Werner’s already hyped about the project, saying in an interview: "It's a story about family and relationships through the lens of a football club."

And, taking it a step further (because Liverpool, after all), Werner reckons if the team can capture that “from Shankly onwards” arc in a single series, they’ll be able to “touch on things like the Beatles” — because what was ’60s Liverpool without a bit of Beatlemania thrown in? Worth noting: Shankly’s own granddaughter, Karen Gill, is involved with the production, so it’s got some family sign-off, if nothing else.

The story they’re telling

If you only know Liverpool FC as the Premier League juggernaut, you might be surprised at just how wild the transformation was during Shankly’s years. He took over in 1959, when they were languishing in the old Second Division, dragging them up while also giving the world that eternal “You’ll Never Walk Alone” anthem (try not to have the Gerry & The Pacemakers version stuck in your head now). The run of honours is pretty absurd: three First Division Championships, two FA Cups, four Charity Shields, and a UEFA Cup. It’s all happening in the ’60s—a slick bit of time that lets the whole madness of Merseyside and football come together.

If you’re wondering what the show is aiming for, Werner again: "If we can articulate that in a mini-series that starts with Bill Shankly and continues through its journey, we can touch on things like the Beatles."

Before you start rolling your eyes and thinking "so it’s just Ted Lasso but with scowling Glaswegians?", it’s not a comedy. Yes, both shows centre on a charismatic manager transforming a football club, but the A24 version is going for a proper, grounded, almost mythic look at Shankly’s messy, inspiring tenure — think more prestige biopic than cheery underdog farce.

No word yet which broadcaster or streamer will pick up the series — though with the names attached, it’s safe to say someone will bite.

Jude Law will take on the role of Bill Shankly in the new series set during the 1960s glory years of Liverpool FC.