TV Show News

TV Casting: THE WALKING DEAD Spin-off, LUKE CAGE, Barkhad Abdi in HAWAII 5-O

Barkhad Abdi Oscars

The Walking Dead Spin-off, Luke Cage, Hawaii 5-O, and other TV productions have made recent TV show casting, TV movie casting, and TV directing news. These shows and movies air on AMC, Netflix, and CBS.

Troy: Street Magic (Syfy)

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Syfy has acquired unscripted series Troy: Street Magic featuring British magician Troy Von Scheibner for premiere in January. The 10-part series follows Scheibner as as he hits the streets of London with his distinctive blend of close-up magic and spectacular stunts.

Luke Cage (Netflix)

Mike Colter will play Luke Cage opposite Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones in A.K.A. Jessica Jones, Marvel’s second 13-episode series

Colter will introduce Luke Cage as the male lead in A.K.A. Jessica Jones before the character headlines the third in Marvel’s four-series package for Netflix, which also includes a miniseries conclusion.

After a tragic ending to her short-lived superhero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities. During the course of an investigation in New York City, Jones encounters the enigmatic Luke Cage – a man whose past has secrets that will dramatically alter Jessica in ways she could never have imagined.

The Walking Dead Spin-off (AMC)

Kim Dickens has been tapped as the female lead opposite Cliff Curtis in the pilot for The Walking Dead companion series at AMC….It revolves around a divorced teacher (Curtis) and a guidance counselor (Dickens), who are working together and are in a relationship. The counselor has two children from a previous marriage, played by Frank Dillane and Alycia Debnam Carey. She looks like the girl next door but has a darkness to her, a troubled past that will come back to haunt her.

Hannibal (NBC)

The character of Mason Verger — a pivotal figure in Thomas Harris’ 1999 novel, “Hannibal,” and the movie adaptation of the same name — was played by Michael Pitt in season two of the NBC drama. According to Variety‘s sister site TV Line, Pitt chose to exit the series and will be replaced in the role by Joe Anderson for the show’s upcoming third season.

Extant (CBS)

Returning, of course, is star Halle Berry. She plays the lead, ISEA astronaut Molly, who mysteriously became pregnant while on mission in space. Also picked up are her co-stars Pierce Gagnon, who plays Molly’s android son, and Grace Gummer, who plays an assistant on the Humanichs Project. The intent is for two other Season 1 series regulars, Goran Visnjic, who plays Berry’s robotics engineer husband, and Camryn Manheim, who plays her friend and co-worker, to return for a couple of episodes at the start of Season 2. Hiroyuki Sanada and Michael O’Neill are not coming back.

Hawaii 5-0 (CBS)

Barkhad Abdi…will guest star on an episode of CBS’s “Hawaii 5-0

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Abdi will play a Congolese warlord, one of the world’s most wanted men. Believed to have been killed in a 2011 bombing by the Zaire Air Force, the criminal is actually alive and living the life of a local cab driver in Hawaii.

Orphan Black (BBC)

Justin Chatwin (Shameless) and James Frain (Intruders) join the channel’s hit original drama for its third season…Justin Chatwin joins in a recurring role as Jason Kellerman. With rugged good looks and street-smarts, Jason is a savvy drug-dealer in the guise of a charismatic businessman. James Frain guest stars as Ferdinand, a well-educated, “cleaner” who is both charming and intimidating. Ferdinand is a powerful player in a secretive, multi-national political faction that operates with questionable ethics and a ruthless approach.

Also joining the cast this season is Ksenia Solo (Black Swan) as Shay, a soulful and compassionate holistic healer with a great sense of humor destined to become a new friend to Cosima Niehaus (Tatiana Maslany). Kyra Harper (Warehouse 13) will play Dr. Coady, a ruthless doctor and advisor to the military. Coady is outwardly the soul of reason, but her maternal, nurturing manner conceals an agenda that even her superiors do not suspect. And rounding out the additions is Earl Pastko (Murdoch Mysteries) as Bulldog, Ferdinand’s silent, imposing and violent personal bodyguard. Communicating with his boss by looks only, Bulldog carries out the dirty work of his shady employers.

Badlands (AMC)

AMC cast Hong Kong actor Daniel Wu to star on its upcoming martial arts drama “Badlands”

Wu will play Sunny, a ruthless warrior who teams up with a young boy to traverse dangerous lands and find enlightenment.

“Badlands” is based loosely on the Chinese tale “Journey to the West” and will co-star Emily Beecham (“28 Weeks Later”), Sarah Bolger (“The Tudors”) and Oliver Stark (“The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box”).

David Dobkin (“Shanghai Knights”) will direct the series

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Source: Variety, Deadline, Thewrap, Bbbcwpressroom

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Rollo Tomasi

Rollo Tomasi is a Connecticut-based film critic, TV show critic, news, and editorial writer. He will have a MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University in 2025. Rollo has written over 700 film, TV show, short film, Blu-ray, and 4K-Ultra reviews. His reviews are published in IMDb's External Reviews and in Google News. Previously you could find his work at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and AltFilmGuide. Now you can find his work at FilmBook.
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