Supernatural and The Boys star Jensen Ackles is set to play detective Lucas Davenport in Rules of Prey, an eight-episode crime thriller series that has been greenlit by MGM+. Based on John Sandford’s bestselling Prey book series, Rules of Prey will adapt the very first Lucas Davenport novel, which was published in 1989. Production begins this month in Toronto, with the series set to premiere on MGM+ in the U.S., United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Chile.
Here is the official synopsis for Rules of Prey:
When an ingenious serial killer begins murdering Minneapolis citizens, Lucas Davenport, a brilliant polymath and unconventional investigator, takes the case, sparking an intense psychological duel with an equally intelligent adversary. As Davenport deciphers the killer’s twisted moral code and personal vendetta, he must match wits with a predator operating by his own rules of justice, risking everything to stop a killer who sees their conflict as the ultimate game.
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Ackles stars as Lucas Davenport, described as “a righteous avenging angel whose sharp mind, unconventional approach, and unwillingness to let the law get in the way of justice forced him out of the Minneapolis Police Department.” The actor will also executive produce the series.
“Jensen Ackles’ classic leading man charisma, combined with Bruce Terris’ skillful adaptation of John Sandford’s enduringly popular Prey series is an excellent fit for MGM+,” said Michael Wright, global head of MGM+. “The series delves into the psychological depth and suspense that made Sandford’s novels unmissable reading and continues MGM+’s commitment to bringing classic Hollywood storytelling to modern audiences.”
Bruce Terris (DTF St. Louis, Patriot) created the series and serves as showrunner and executive producer. Charles Gogolak and Matt Leipzig of Modern Literary Arts also executive produce, alongside Howard Braunstein, Michael Jaffe, John Requa, Glenn Ficarra, and John Weber. Sandford serves as co-producer. Daniel Sackheim will direct the pilot and second episode while also executive producing.
Rules of Prey further expands Ackles’ relationship with MGM Television and Amazon MGM Studios. He will next star in and produce Vought Rising, reprising his fan-favorite role as Soldier Boy from The Boys. That The Boys prequel is scheduled to premiere on Prime Video in 2027. Ackles is also set to return as Russell Shaw for the fourth season of the CBS series Tracker.
Of course, Ackles is best known for playing Dean Winchester on Supernatural, a role he held for all 15 seasons of the long-running series from 2005 to 2020. He has also played Soldier Boy on The Boys and recently starred in the Prime Video action series Countdown.
Sandford’s Prey series has become a long-running literary franchise. The first Lucas Davenport novel, Rules of Prey, was published in 1989, and there are now 36 books in the series, with Revenge Prey published in 2026. Sandford is the pseudonym of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Camp.
Rules of Prey is also not the first time one of Sandford’s Davenport novels has been adapted for television. Mind Prey, the seventh book in the series, was turned into a 1999 TV movie starring Eriq La Salle as Lucas Davenport. Certain Prey, based on the tenth book, followed as a 2011 TV movie starring Mark Harmon as Davenport.
This new series is taking a different approach by going all the way back to the beginning with Rules of Prey, the novel that introduced Lucas Davenport. Are you a fan of Sandford’s books, and will you be checking out this Jensen Ackles series? Let us know by leaving a comment below.