Some TV (and Netflix) casting announcements made in the last week that we missed…
— Jeffrey Wright is member of the cast for an upcoming Netflix thriller titled “Hold the Dark,” joining Alexander Skarsgard, James Badge Dale, Riley Keough, and James Bloor.
Jeremy Saulnier is directing the film “Hold the Dark,” which is based on the book by William Giraldi and is set in the Alaskan wilderness, where wolves are killing children. A biologist arrives on the scene to investigate and tangles with a dead boy’s dysfunctional parents.
Wright has signed up to play the biologist.
Macon Blair, who starred in Saulnier’s debut film “Blue Ruin,” is writing the script.
— Malachi Kirby (Kunta Kinte in A+E Networks’ recent “Roots” remake) is member of the cast for Syfy’s upcoming artificial intelligence drama pilot “The Machine.” He joins Bridger Zadina, Olly Rix, Annet Mahendru and Indira Varma in a proposed series that is based on the 2013 cult film, “The Machine,” which is set in a world that is being transformed by the emergence of artificial intelligence. The project explores the epic conflict between man and technology through the lives and motivations of six interwoven characters – each of whom holds the key to humanity’s victory or its destruction.
Kirby will portray Aaron, a lonely and out of place young man who created an A.I. as his best friend – benevolent, brilliant, supportive, and in many ways, his equal. Then recruited by the CIA for his creation, Aaron was placed in their cyber warfare division.
Kirby played remake and can be seen in Charlie Brooker’s anthology series Black Mirror.
— Tiffany Boone (“The Following”) and Alex R. Hibbert (“Moonlight”) have been cast as series regulars opposite Jason Mitchell in Showtime’s hour-long drama “The Chi,” from Lena Waithe, Elwood Reid, Common, Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment and Fox 21 TV Studios.
Created/executive produced by Waithe, “The Chi” is a coming-of-age story that follows 6 interrelated characters in the South Side of Chicago.
Boone will play Jerrika, Brandon’s (Mitchell) outspoken partner in life. Although she struggles with his mother for acceptance as his girlfriend, she also is wise and helpful in navigating Brandon’s path. A restaurant manager herself, in tough times she works hard to keep Brandon away from street justice and on his own road to being a chef. Hibbert portrays Kevin, who is street-smart and confident and focuses on the things important to a 13-year-old. He’s infatuated with a girl in his class, has a close group of neighborhood friends and dreams of getting out of the South Side. Unfortunately, being at the wrong place at the wrong time puts him at the scene of a murder, and now Kevin has a new kind of fear — for his life.
— Chris Redd (“Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping”) has been cast as a series regular opposite Kathy Bates in Netflix’s pot-themed workplace comedy “Disjointed,” which hails from Chuck Lorre, former “Daily Show” head writer David Javerbaum and Warner Bros TV.
“Disjointed” stars Bates as Ruth, a lifelong advocate for legalization who’s finally living her dream as the owner of an L.A.-area cannabis dispensary. Joining her are three employees, her twentysomething son and a deeply troubled security guard.
Redd has signed up to play Dank, a pot head and regular customer at the dispensary.
