6 minute read
This week’s roundup of who’s casting what starring whom
What’s Casting Rose Byrne Gets ‘Physical’
An Apple TV+ aerobics dramedy is her next starring vehicle
By Rebecca Welch
STAY IN THE LOOP ON INDUS
try and casting news with our write-up on who’s been slated for recent film and television roles!
Please note that shoot dates are subject to state and county
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For more upcoming productions and casting news, visit backstage.com/news/casting restrictions and may change. Refer to Call Sheet for updates, and keep checking Backstage for the latest news on project development during this time.
Rose Byrne will channel Olivia Newton-John on her next project, the Apple TV+ original dramedy series “Physical,” also known as “Olivia.” The new show is in the very early stages of development but has already signed Byrne for the lead role, with Susie Farris Casting handling the staffing. The series follows a housewife in 1980s Southern California who’s stuck in a rut and finds her path to acceptance and power through the world of aerobics. Byrne is currently the only actor attached to the show. While dates are flexible, the project is eyeing an October start, with shooting to continue through spring 2021. The series will film in Los Angeles.
After three friends learn that a sinister cabal of scientists is cloning Black people and conducting experiments on them, the trio commits to bringing down the organization responsible in “They Cloned Tyrone.” John Boyega is officially on board to star in the Netflix feature, which has been described as a “pulpy, sci-fi mystery caper,” with Juel Taylor directing. Kim Coleman is casting the film, which will go into production as soon as safety measures can be ensured for the cast and crew in light of COVID-19 concerns— likely in November. Atlanta will host the shoot.
Ingmar Bergman is about to have a revival, as Hagai Levi is adapting the legendary writer-director’s 1974 film “Scenes From a Marriage” into a miniseries for HBO. The updated version will follow a modern American couple throughout their lives, chronicling their relationship through years of love and turmoil. Aibel/Holbrook is casting the project, with Michelle Williams and Oscar Isaac starring as the troubled couple. The team is aiming to start production in November, with shooting taking place primarily in New York.
For the latest news, check out backstage.com/resources to find thousands of production listings, casting directors, acting classes, agents, and more!
TELEVISION
A New Missy Heads to ‘Big Mouth’
By Casey Mink
“BIG MOUTH” HAS FOUND ITS NEW
Missy. Two months after Jenny Slate said she will no longer portray the Black character on the animated series, Netflix has announced that comedian-writer-actor Ayo Edebiri will take over the role. Edebiri joins the cast in the midst of production on Season 4, which means viewers will start to hear her voice on its penultimate episode. (A premiere date has not yet been announced.) Edebiri will also be one of the series’ writers for its fifth season, a job she landed prior to being cast as Slate’s replacement.
Michael Rainey Jr. on “Power Book II: Ghost”
The Slate Speaking Truth to ‘Power’
Michael Rainey Jr. talks bringing the buzzy “Power Book II: Ghost” to Starz
By Briana Rodriguez
The following interview for Backstage’s on-camera series The Slate was compiled in part by readers just like you! Follow us on Twitter (@Backstage) and Instagram (@backstagecast) to stay in the loop on upcoming interviews and to submit your questions.
AT JUST 19, MICHAEL RAINEY
Jr. has already gone from starring on one of the most successful series on premium-pay television with Starz’s “Power” to leading his own spinoff show, “Power Book II: Ghost.” Backstage sat down with the young talent to discuss on-set relationships, contending
TELEVISION
‘Social Distance’ Will Be a Family Affair
By Casey Mink
“SOCIAL DISTANCE,” ONE OF A
number of upcoming coronavirus-themed projects, has revealed its cast—and it includes a number of people actually related to each other. The Jenji Kohan series, an eight-episode anthology, will star married couple Dylan and Becky Ann Baker; Danielle Brooks (reuniting with “Orange Is the New Black” showrunner Kohan) and her real-life mother and brother, LaRita and DJ Brooks; and Daphne Rubin-Vega, along with her husband and son, Tom and Luca Costanzo. “Social Distance” will premiere on Netflix at some point this fall. with more responsibility, and playing to the singular life circumstances of his character, Tariq St. Patrick.
Taking over as the lead on “Power Book II: Ghost” was a challenge.
“Obviously, it’s a whole new responsibility for me. It’s a different type of workload, different call times, [and] a lot more scenes, so I kind of just wanted to approach it like it’s something new. At first I was a little nervous, but I’d seen a lot of old faces from the original series; even the new crew and the new cast, they made me super comfortable. Adjusting to get into that mode [of] being the leader of the whole crew and cast, being No. 1 on the call sheet—it made it a little easier for me to get into my groove.”
Rainey focused on playing the opposing elements in Tariq’s life.
“I try to keep it as natural as I can, but obviously, with this new season, new spinoff, it’s a different type of Tariq now. It’s definitely a different approach, because to me, he’s grown up. You see him making those grown man decisions now; he’s not the same kid as he was on the original series…. The dynamic of Tariq happens in the streets to get money for [his mom’s] lawyer and then, obviously, him having to finish school, to graduate so he [can] get his [inheritance] from his father. So he’s playing those two sides. And the grittiness is still there; the realness, as far as the drug lords in New York, all of that stuff, is still there. But it’s also a different dynamic now, because Tariq, he’s in school, he’s young, he’s around kids his age, so they get to see Tariq be a kid now. They get to see him act around people his age and just be himself rather than trying to be that tough kid around all the adults.”
Solid on-set relationships yield the best results—and the best advice.
“Having a good relationship with everyone on set is so important when it comes to making TV shows and movies, because if you have a great relationship with everyone, nothing can really go wrong. One of the things that 50 [Cent] told me… this was Season 3, when Tariq and Kanan [played by 50 Cent] first started hanging out in the show, so me and 50 would have a lot of scenes together, and we were working. So we were in the trailer one day; we were just chatting it up. One thing he told me that always stuck with me was, ‘Never feel too entitled to something, because that’s when you deprive yourself.’ ”
Want to hear more from Rainey? Watch our full interview at backstage.com/ magazine, and follow us on Instagram: @backstagecast.
