HBO, McKay plot media mogul family drama

HBO has ordered a pair of pilots, including a drama about a 21^st century global media powerbroker family from director Adam McKay and Will Ferrell.

The other pilot is about a Somali community in Minnesota, and has The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow attached as executive producer.

The pilots orders of Succession and Mogadishu, Minnesota mark the first HBO has made since Casey Bloys replaced Michael Lombardo as president of programming at the Time Warner-owned cable channel.

Succession comes from writer McKay (The Big Short, Anchorman), who will direct. Comedian Ferrell is EP, with Jesse Armstrong (Peep Show) writing and Kevin Messick and Frank Rich also attached.

It will follow a modern media family, exploring family loyalty, international business and the perils of modern power.

Mogadishu, Minnesota comes from Canadian-Somali K’naan Warsame, who is writing and directing. It looks at American identity with a group of Somalis.

Bigelow will executive produce alongside Carolyn Strauss.