Tim Minear

EXCLUSIVE: One of the hottest actors this pilot season, Jason Isaacs, is off the market. After fielding more than half-dozen offers, Isaacs has settled on the lead role in NBC’s drama pilot REM, from Lone Star creator Kyle Killen and 20th Century Fox TV. In addition to starring, Isaacs will serve as producer on the project, described as an Inception-style thriller. It centers on a cop (Isaacs) who wakes up after an accident to find he is living in two different realities. The casting of Isaacs lifts the contingency on the pilot, exec produced/run by former 24 showrunner Howard Gordon. 20th TV-based Tim Minear serves as a consulting producer.

REM brings Brit Isaacs back to 20th TV where he starred in the drama pilot for Fox Pleading Guilty last season. Additionally, he developing and producing a drama project at 20th TV’s cable division Fox 21. Safe, set up at FX, is being written by Chris Gerolmo.

Brotherhood star Isaacs had been in demand since the Showtime drama ended in 2008. He was first pursued in the 2009 pilot season but was unavailable because of commitments to the Harry Potter movies, in which he plays Lucius Malfoy. Last pilot season, he received eight offers and went with Pleading Guilty. Isaacs, repped by Gersh, the Collective, U.K.’s Independent Talent and attorney Karl Austen, will next be seen in the final Harry Potter movie and the Taylor Lautner starrer Abduction.