TV Casting: BATWOMAN; WAR OF THE WORLDS; Darby Stanchfield in LOCKE & KEY, & More

Batwoman, War of the Worlds, Locke & Key, and other TV Show Casting

Batwoman, War of the Worlds, Locke & Key, and other TV productions have made recent TV show casting, TV movie casting, and TV directing news. These shows and movies air on: HBO, The CW, Amazon Prime, Netflix, CBS All Access, Hulu, NBC, and ABC. Beware of spoilers in these casting announcements.

Mare of Easttown (HBO)

Kate Winslet has been cast as “a small-town Pennsylvania detective who investigates a local murder at a time when her own life is crumbling around her.”

Brad Ingelsby wrote the screenplay for the TV mini-series directed by Gavin O’Connor.

The Liberator (Netflix)

Bradley James has been cast as U.S. Army officer Felix Sparks.

Jeb Stuart wrote the screenplays for the animated Netflix TV series.

The Liberator‘s plot synopsis: “The Liberator traces the remarkable battlefield journey of maverick U.S. Army officer Felix Sparks through the Allied liberation of Europe—from the first landing in Italy to the final death throes of the Third Reich.

Over five hundred bloody days, Sparks and his infantry unit battled from the beaches of Sicily through the mountains of Italy and France, ultimately enduring bitter and desperate winter combat against the die-hard SS on the Fatherland’s borders. Having miraculously survived the long, bloody march across Europe, Sparks was selected to lead a final charge to Bavaria, where he and his men experienced some of the most intense street fighting suffered by Americans in World War II.

And when he finally arrived at the gates of Dachau, Sparks confronted scenes that robbed the mind of reason—and put his humanity to the ultimate test.”

The Many Saints of Newark (HBO)

Michael Gandolfini has been cast as the young version of Tony Soprano.

This actor joins already cast: Alessandro Nivola, Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthal, Billy Magnussen, and Corey Stoll.

The Many Saints of Newark‘s plot synopsis: “The story focuses on Dickie Moltisanti (Nivola), a mentor to young Tony as his own father, Johnny Boy, was grooming his son a pathway to organized crime prominence…Set during the ’60s Newark riots, when “African Americans and Italians of that city were at each others throats. It was especially lethal among gangsters from each group.”

David Chase, Lawrence Konner, and Alan Taylor wrote the screenplay for the film. Alan Taylor is directing the film.

Watchmen (HBO)

Jean Smart has been cast in an unspecified role.

This actor joins already cast: Jean Smart, Jeremy Irons, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sara Vickers, Tom Mison, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Adelaide Clemens, and Andrew Howard.

Damon Lindelof is writing the screenplays for the series.

Nicole Kassell is directing the pilot episode.

The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Christopher Meloni has been cast as Commander Winslow, “a powerful and magnetic Commander who hosts the Waterfords on an important trip.”

Elizabeth Reaser has been cast as Mrs. Winslow, “Commander Winslow’s wife, who becomes a friend and inspiration to Serena Joy.”

This actor and actress join previous cast Ashleigh LaThrop.

The Handmaid’s Tale: Season 3’s plot synopsis: “Season Three of The Handmaid’s Tale is driven by June’s (Elisabeth Moss) resistance to the dystopian regime of Gilead and her struggle to strike back against overwhelming odds. Startling reunions, betrayals, and a journey to the terrifying heart of Gilead force all characters to take a stand, guided by one defiant prayer: ‘Blessed be the fight.'”

Batwoman (The CW)

Meagan Tandy has been cast as Sophie Moore. “After graduating from the military academy, Sophie rose through the ranks to become a high-level private security agent and one of Gotham’s staunchest protectors. Despite her bite and regimented outlook, Sophie has a soft side, illuminated by Kate Kane’s return.”

Camrus Johnson has been cast as Luke Fox, a “Dark Knight loyalist and son of Wayne’s R&D director Lucius Fox, Luke works to keep Wayne Tower secure in his boss’s absence. While Luke considers himself the guardian of all things Batman –specifically his symbol — he also recognizes the city’s need for a new hero.”

Nicole Kang has been cast as Mary Hamilton. “Excitable, talkative, and an influencer-in-the-making, Mary is Kate Kane’s step-sister and polar opposite. But what Mary lacks in a filter, she makes up for with her compassion for Gotham’s underserved communities, proving she has more in common with Kate than she thinks.”

These actresses and actor join already cast Ruby Rose.

Batwoman‘s plot synopsis: “It centers on Kate Kane (Rose) who soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence. But don’t call her a hero yet. In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.”

Caroline Dries wrote the screenplay for the pilot episode that David Nutter will direct.

Utopia (Amazon)

Sasha Lane has been cast as Jessica Hyde, “a woman who has been on the run from the evil organization known as The Network and whose father created the manuscripts for the ‘Utopia’ graphic novels.”

Utopia‘s plot synopsis: “[Utopia] focuses on a group of young adults who meet online and are mercilessly hunted by a shadowy deep state organization after they come into possession of a near-mythical cult underground graphic novel. They discover the conspiracy theories in the comic’s pages may actually be real and forced into the dangerous, unique, and ironic position of saving the world.”

Gillian Flynn wrote the screenplay for the series.

The Twilight Zone (CBS All Access)

Taissa Farmiga, Rhea Seehorn, Luke Kirby, and Ike Barinholtz have been cast in unspecified roles in an episode of The Twilight Zone.

These actors and actresses join already cast: John Cho, Sanaa Lathan, Kumail Nanjiani, Adam Scott, Allison Tolman, Greg Kinnear, DeWanda Wise, Jessica Williams, Steven Yeun, and Jacob Tremblay.

Jordan Peele will be the show’s host.

Locke & Key (Netflix)

Darby Stanchfield has been cast as Nina Locke, the matriarch of the Locke family. “After the traumatic home attack, Nina Locke moves her family across the country to Keyhouse for a fresh start — and also to solve the mystery surrounding her late husband Rendell’s murder. She struggles with her new role as a single mom, as Rendell was always more the traditional parent type. She’s much more comfortable as an artist and house renovator.”

This actor and actress join already cast Jackson Robert Scott, Emilia Jones, and Connor Jessup.

Locke & Key‘s plot synopsis: based on the comic book by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, “Locke & Key is a horror/fantasy series that revolves around three siblings who, after the gruesome murder of their father, move to their ancestral home in Massachusetts only to find the house has magical keys that give them a vast array of powers and abilities. Little do they know, a devious demon also wants the keys, and will stop at nothing to attain them.”

Carlton Cuse, Joe Hill, and Aron Eli Coleite wrote the screenplay for the pilot episode of this TV series.

You (Netflix)

Victoria Pedretti has been cast as Love Quinn, “an aspiring chef working as a produce manager in a high-end grocery store. Love is uninterested in the world of social media, branding and self-promotion, focused instead on leading an interesting life. She is also tending to a deep grief — and when she meets Joe Goldberg (Badgley), she senses a shared knowledge of profound, life-changing loss.”

This actress joins already cast Penn Badgley.

You is based on the book by Caroline Kepnes.

Happy Accident (ABC)

Vanessa Williams has been cast in an unspecified lead role as a hotel lounge singer.

This actress joins already cast Matt Walsh and JoAnna Garcia Swisher.

Abraham Higginbotham and Jon Pollack are writing the screenplays for the series.

Happy Accident‘s plot synopsis: “Happy Accident revolves around two Pittsburgh families, a father (Walsh) with three adult daughters (Swisher as Eleanor), and a hotel lounge singer (Williams) with her med student son, are forced together after a decades-old secret is revealed.”

War of The Worlds (Canal+ and Fox Networks Group Europe & Africa)

Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern have been cast in unspecified lead roles.

This actor and actress join already cast: Léa Drucker, Natasha Little, Daisy Edgar Jones, Stéphane Caillard, Adel Bencherif, and Guillaume Gouix.

Howard Overman wrote the screenplays for the series. The series is based on H.G. Wells‘ book of the same name.

“Gilles Coulier…will direct the first four episodes [while] Richard Clark…will helm episodes five to eight.”

War of the Worlds‘ plot synopsis: “Set in contemporary Europe, the reimagining will follow the pockets of humanity left on earth following an apocalyptic extra-terrestrial strike.”

Leave your thoughts on this TV show casting news (via Deadline and Geektyrant) below in the comments section. Readers seeking more TV show casting can visit our TV Show Casting Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+, and Facebook.