USA makes Mr Robot order

NBCUniversal-owned USA Network has revealed its first pilot pick-up for 2015: a drama series about a computer hacker starring Christian Slater.

Mr Robot (working title) is from Universal Cable Productions and is being exec produced by True Detective’s Steve Golin, Sam Esmail (Comet) and Chad Hamilton (Breakup at a Wedding).

The 10-part show will shoot in New York and stars Rami Malek (24) as a young programmer who suffers from a debilitating anti-social disorder and decides that he can only connect to people by hacking them.

He then finds himself caught between working for a cybersecurity firm and the murky world of mysterious anarchist Mr Robot, played by Slater.

The show was amongst five pilots announced by USA Network for the coming season, along with Colony, Stanistan, Queen of the South, and Evil Men.

The order comes amid the ongoing political stand-off between the US and North Korea over alleged hacking and threats made regarding Sony movie The Interview.