EXILE CITY

The Show Bible

by Nick Gomez & Stephen Montagne

"SAIL" - AWOLNATION

00:0000:00

LOGLINE

Deadwood meets John Adams in the decadent South. Lawmen battle outlaws; privateers and smugglers vie for control of the chaotic streets; slaves fight for freedom; and a voodoo queen knows all the secrets in this early-1800s tale of revenge, redemption and the birth of an extraordinary American city: New Orleans.

Logline

Executive Summary

This history-based, hour-long drama series — seasoned with comedy and gothic horror — follows the political squabbles, family tragedies and tribal conflicts surrounding the trailblazers of New Orleans.

Exile City chronicles the ups-and-downs of its first governor, WILLIAM “Billy” C.C. CLAIBORNE, as he attempts to win over the hearts and minds of the original inhabitants of New Orleans, while he also battles America’s original gangster: JEAN LAFITTE.

The B-side of our story involves the intriguing saga of LUCKY DU CONGO and MARIE LAVEAU THE FIRST (MARIE I), two Free People of Color and the complicated relationship with their own people.

By utilizing a multi-layered story structure, we’re able to tell the tale of:

The exile of former Vice President AARON BURR and the infamous “Burr Conspiracy”,
The double life of the original military leader, GENERAL JAMES WILKINSON (who was a spy for the Spanish crown),
The entire saga of the War of 1812, and the triumph of ANDREW JACKSON,
Legendary “privateer” Jean Lafitte’s unpredictable heroism during the Battle of New Orleans...

… for the first time on episodic television!

Exile City most resembles renowned history-based dramas DEADWOOD, BOARDWALK EMPIRE, JOHN ADAMS and ROME with a storyline that harkens to Martin Scorsese’s classic tale of revenge and the origins of an urban American landscape: GANGS OF NEW YORK. Much like these HBO epic episodics, the world in which our characters inhabit is the chaotic, dirty, crime-infested backstreets of an early-American city.

Exile City explores the French Quarter of New Orleans, where slaves are bought and sold, nefarious plots are hatched and you either learn quick or die. The tone and style of the series is a gumbo of: gritty realism, mysticism, folksy southern humor, with a touch of gothic horror.

Welcome to EXILE CITY!

(For narrative purposes, liberties will be taken with historical figures, timelines, dates and events. Therefore, historical inaccuracies will occur. )

Executive Summary

The Characters

The Lawman

(Main Protaganist)

WILLIAM “Billy” C.C. CLAIBORNE (Louisiana's First Governor)

Claiborne, a Protestant politician from Virginia, has been serving as the governor of the Mississippi Territory. Until President Jefferson calls upon him to take on the assignment of “Americanizing” the Creole population of New Orleans. Unfamiliar with the Creole customs and lawless nature of the City, he instantly becomes a proverbial “fish-out-of-water.”

The

nemesis

JEAN LAFITTE (The Legendary “Prince of Pirates”)

A devilishly handsome, charismatic, ship captain who commandeers Spanish vessels for profit. A natural born leader, he uses his wit, charm and sense of humor to ingratiate himself amongst the elite. Along with his older brothers PIERRE LAFTITTE and cannoneer DOMINIQUE YOU, Jean was one of America's original gangsters.

A master con man and notorious gambler, capable of leading the most unruly of men and outwitting the most determined authority figures, he finds constant amusement in the game of cat and mouse with his newest adversary: “Billy” Claiborne.

the outlaw

LOUIS CARRÉ (aka Quinn “The Spider” & His Stable of Ladies)

A mysterious and tortured serial killer who is captive to explosive displays of violence, opium addiction and erratic mood swings. He runs a brothel/tavern deep in the swamp called “The Spider’s Web” and is flush with a bevy of Wiccan prostitutes: CLAUDETTE, the leader and head madame; ABIGAIL, Claudette’s cousin, Quinn’s lover and a wild child who suffers from epilepsy; LISETTE, a lesbian prostitute with a propensity for violence; and AMÉLIE, Abigail’s teenage sister and the most naïve of the pack.

He also runs a gang of outlaws that assist him in the trade of black market goods and services and cater to his darker passion: revenge.

the gossip queen

MARIE LAVEAU THE FIRST (aka: MARIE I)

Marie I (mother to the infamous: MARIE LAVEAU) is a popular hairdresser among the upper crust of New Orleans society.

Entrusted with secrets and gossip, she garners a reputation as the Gossip Queen of New Orleans. But mainly, she’s known as a voodoo priestess and tarot card reader who uses her web of gossip to substantiate her voodoo magic.

She owns a voodoo shop/hair salon in the Vieux Carré that is a front for an opium den, a hideout for runaway slaves, refugees, and other “precious cargo.”

the executioner

LUCKY DU CONGO (aka “Mobutu”)

Based on a real person (Louis Congo): Lucky was captured in Congo Africa with his wife, ETHEL (aka “Makemba”). He was “lucky” enough to be sold to the same plantation owner with her, where she bore two children: MAXIMUS (aka MAXUS) and VIRGINIA (aka GINNY).

He struggles to keep his family together and their cultural traditions intact in this alien environment. But all of that comes to a screeching halt when he is given a cruel gift: his freedom . . . with strings attached.

THE ANARCHIST

AARON BURR is a contrarian with egomaniacal dreams of grandeur and a lust for power.

With a charisma that could rival Svengali, he dreams of creating a separate western empire that would combine Mexico with Florida, making him a proverbial king. After killing his rival Alexander Hamilton in a duel, he heads to New Orleans where he plots his revolution, alongside Gen. Wilkinson (true story).