Denmark's Lunderskov Magic and the UK's CMG Productions, alongside producers Nicole Finnan and Allan Sperling, are developing "Gunsmoke & Mirrors", a scripted drama series based on the life of Christian Rørmose Madsen, a Danish criminal who reinvented himself as a war hero and law enforcement legend in the American West during the late 19th century. The project is notable as it marks CMG's first foray into scripted drama and brings together an international creative team aiming to tell an immigrant story with contemporary resonance around identity and reinvention.

The series, created by Michael Lunderskov, draws on Madsen's autobiography, contemporary accounts and Frans Ørsted Andersen's biography "Et Liv På Kanten", which the companies have optioned. Alongside the drama, the team is also developing Danish- and English-language podcasts and a documentary incorporating newly uncovered information about Madsen. Lunderskov Magic's past credits include projects starring Sam Neill and Connie Nielsen, while CMG, led by Rebecca Knight and Claire McArdle, has previously worked on factual titles including "The Footballer, His Wife and the Crash".