Oscar Isaac is a hero in the making…

HBO has officially green-lit for production Show Me a Hero, a six-hour miniseries starring the 35-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban actor, from The Wire co-creator David Simon and Baltimore Sun journalist/The Wire writer William F. Zorzi.

Directed by Paul Haggis and co-starring Catherine Keener, Show Me A Hero is based on the nonfiction book by Lisa Belkin. It centers on Nick Wasicsko (portrayed by Isaac), the youngest big-city mayor in the nation who finds himself thrust into the center of a racial controversy when a federal court orders him to build a small number of low-income housing units in the white neighborhoods of his town, Yonkers, New York. His attempt to do so tears the city apart, paralyzes the municipal government and, ultimately, destroys his political future.

Keener will portray Mary Dorman, an East Yonkers homeowner who comes to a remarkable realization during the battle over where to build low-income housing.

This is Simon’s third miniseries for HBO following 2000′s The Corner, which won an Emmy for Best Miniseries, and Generation Kill, which was nominated in the category. He also co-created HBO’s New Orleans drama Treme, whose five-episode final season is up for a Best Miniseries Emmy this year.

Isaac is currently filming Star Wars: Episode VII.