Derek Tsang Attached to Direct True-Crime Drama "Group 41"

Derek Tsang, the filmmaker behind "3 Body Problem" and "Better Days", is attached to direct and executive produce a new true-crime drama called "Group 41". "Attached" means he has committed to the project. "Executive produce" means he will oversee it from behind the scenes, shaping the show without necessarily running it day to day. Variety reported the news on 7 November 2026.

The series follows the first Asian-American squad at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the American federal agency that fights drug trafficking. It is planned as 10 episodes of 45 minutes each, and the story opens in New York in 1986.

The show is based on a 180-page nonfiction book, "The Incredible Story of D.E.A. Group 41 & The Rise and Fall of the Asian Heroin Trade". Jonah Greenberg wrote the book with Marc Iserlis and Aidan Swift, and the book is due out next year. Iserlis and Swift are also producers and writers on the series. Greenberg's company, Salty Pictures, is behind the project.

Taiwan's Each Other Films is a co-production partner. The company was co-founded by co-producer Tiffany Yu-chia Chen. Adam Berkowitz, a former co-head of the TV department at talent agency CAA, is executive producer through Lenore Entertainment Group.

The project is being presented at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) in Taipei. Festivals like this give producers a chance to show early ideas to potential partners and buyers.

"Group 41" has been in development for seven years. The next steps, according to the same report, are to find a writer-showrunner, meaning the lead writer who runs the series day to day. The team may also attach cast before pitching the show to streaming platforms next year. No broadcaster or streaming service has been named for the series so far.

For now, the show is still at the very start. It has a director, a source book, and a set of producers, but no writing lead, cast, or buyer yet. Any of those steps could still change the plan.