In what would be a major casting coup for NBC, the network is in negotiations with former House star Hugh Laurie to topline new action-adventure series Crossbones, from Luther creator Neil Cross and feature producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, Deadline said.

Unlike House, where Brit Laurie played an American, he would be able to use his normal British accent in Crossbones as he plays the notorious English pirate Blackbeard.

The 10-episode Crossbones is set in 1715 on the Bahamian island of New Providence, the first functioning democracy in the Americas, where the diabolical pirate Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard (Laurie), reigns over a rogue nation of thieves, outlaws and miscreant sailors. Part shantytown, part marauder’s paradise, this is a place like no other on earth — and a mounting threat to international commerce.

Cross wrote the script and is executive producing with Parkes, MacDonald and Ted Gold for Parkes/MacDonald Prods; Georgeville Television, Reliance Entertainment/Motion Picture Capital’s new TV Studio; and Universal Television. The project reunites Laurie with Universal TV, which produced the Fox medical drama House, which ended its eight-season run in May. The role of the brilliant but troubled Dr. Gregory House earned Laurie six Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe awards. He is with WME and UK’s Hamilton Hodell.