Renowned television creator David Chase is set to return to HBO with a new limited thriller series titled “Project: MKUltra.” This marks Chase’s first series with the cable network since his groundbreaking mafia hit “The Sopranos” concluded its six-season run in 2007, a show widely credited with revolutionizing television and bringing antihero protagonists into the mainstream.

“Project: MKUltra” will delve into a dark and controversial period of CIA history, chronicling the life of real-life chemist and spymaster Sidney Gottlieb, often known as “The Black Sorcerer.” The series is based on John Lisle’s meticulously researched novel, “Project Mind Control: Sidney Gottlieb, the CIA, and the Tragedy of MKULTRA.”

Gottlieb was the enigmatic figure who headed the CIA’s notorious MKUltra Psychedelic program, an operation that ran from 1953 to 1964. During the height of the Cold War, this program conducted dangerous and often deadly mind-control experiments on both willing and, disturbingly, unwilling subjects. The CIA’s objective was to research mind control through various methods, including psychedelic drugs like LSD, hypnosis, and electroshock therapy, in an attempt to counter perceived Chinese and Soviet “brainwashing” techniques. The inhumanity toward its subjects has since been widely recognized, despite the CIA’s attempts to destroy records associated with the program. Ironically, Gottlieb’s extensive use of LSD in these torturous experiments unwittingly sparked the LSD counterculture.

David Chase will write the limited series under a first-look deal with his Riverain Pictures banner. He will also serve as an executive producer alongside his Riverain Pictures colleague Nicole Lambert, who is the head of production and development for the company. Lambert previously produced “The Many Saints of Newark,” the 2021 prequel film to “The Sopranos,” which Chase co-wrote.

Chase, a seven-time Emmy winner, redefined modern television with “The Sopranos.” The show, which garnered 21 Emmys during its run, is celebrated for establishing the concept of “prestige television,” paving the way for more complex narratives and morally ambiguous heroes seen in series like “Breaking Bad,” “The Shield,” and “Six Feet Under.” Even programs like “Severance” share its cinematic DNA. The show, along with its late star James Gandolfini, remains on many lists for the greatest television series ever made.

Since wrapping “The Sopranos,” Chase has maintained a relatively low profile in terms of new projects. His post-“Sopranos” writing credits include his feature directorial debut, “Not Fade Away” (2012), and the screenplay for “The Many Saints of Newark.” An indie horror movie is also slated to begin shooting next year. Beyond his most famous work, Chase’s career spans a rich history in television, having helmed the 1988 drama “Almost Grown” and served as a longtime producer and writer on acclaimed series such as “The Rockford Files,” “Northern Exposure,” and “I’ll Fly Away.” In 2024, Chase was the subject of a two-part documentary, “Wise Guy: David Chase and the Sopranos,” directed by Alex Gibney, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival. His representation includes UTA, Untitled, Gendler Kelly & Cunningham, and 42West.

While little else is known about the series at this time, “Project: MKUltra” is anticipated to garner significant attention, benefiting from Chase’s esteemed reputation and the compelling, dark subject matter.