AceShowbiz - Award-winning "The Americans" star Matthew Rhys has been given the task of revamping beloved TV detective "Perry Mason" for a new origins project.

Set in the early 1930s, HBO's limited series from Robert Downey Jr. and his producer wife Susan's Team Downey company will explore the early days of the man who was to become one of American TV's most popular characters.

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"Now it seems to me the place to start is at the beginning." Perry Mason “And it seems to me the beginning of any great project is casting my new best friend Matthew Rhys.” Robert Downey Jr. Executive Producer #matthewrhys

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A post shared by Robert Downey Jr. (@robertdowneyjr) on Jan 14, 2019 at 12:17pm PST

Rhys will take on a role most famously played by Raymond Burr in the late 1950s and 1960s, and also produce the project.

"Iron Man" star Downey, Jr. was initially attached to star as Mason when the project was initially picked up up at HBO in 2016, but the plans fell apart and the movie star has since stepped down as the lead.