Anthony Michael Hall says he and longtime friend Robert Downey Jr. are developing a 'Succession'-like TV series

• Robert Downey Jr. and Anthony Michael Hall are developing a TV series called "Singularity."
• Hall told Business Insider that Downey Jr. plans to direct the pilot episode, which would mark the Oscar-winner's directorial debut.
• Hall said the series had to be revised due to similarities with "Succession."

Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Downey Jr.'s friendship goes back to the mid-1980s when the two met on the set of the John Hughes classic "Weird Science" and soon after were cast members on "Saturday Night Live."

Though their career trajectories diverged — Hall went from '80s teen idol to character actor, Downey Jr. from unknown to "Iron Man" — the two have remained close friends. In fact, Hall is the godfather of Downey Jr.'s son.

Now, the old friends are in development on a TV series that would mark Downey Jr.'s directorial debut.

"We wrote a TV series together, we're calling it 'Singularity,' and it's based on an idea Downey had," Hall told Business Insider.

Hall said the two have been developing it for years (it was first announced by The Wrap in 2016), and it took even longer to get off the ground once they realized what they wrote was similar to the hugely popular HBO series "Succession."

"We had to change things because it wound up being too similar to 'Succession,'" he said. "What I mean by that is I would have played one of three sons, and the father was this tycoon industrialist. It's more of a comedic tone than 'Succession,' but it mirrored it too much, so we had to change things. Downey and I actually had a Zoom session the other day with a top producer who will hopefully come on board."

Hall also revealed that "Singularity" would mark Downey's directorial debut.

"He might direct the pilot and some other episodes along with being in it," Hall said of Downey Jr. "He's committed to being a part of it."

After four decades in the business on screen, Hall said he's focusing more on work behind the scenes. Along with developing "Singularity," Hall also wrote a feature script that he plans to direct.

"It has been a passion and desire for me to do that for many years now," Hall said of trying his hand as a writer-director. "It's the next evolution in my career, being behind the camera."