Stay in the loop on industry 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 restrictions and may change. Refer to Call Sheet for updates, and keep checking Backstage for the latest news on project development during this time.
“The Staircase”
Docuseries “The Staircase,” which originally aired in 2004 and hit Netflix in 2018, helped pave the way for the true crime craze of today. Now, HBO Max is adapting the story into a limited series. In 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead by her husband, crime novelist Michael Peterson, at the bottom of a flight of stairs in their North Carolina home. Michael quickly became the prime suspect, as his account of the events and his strange behavior started to raise questions about his involvement. The dramatized adaptation will incorporate details from various reports and books on the case. Douglas Aibel is casting the miniseries, which has already brought on Colin Firth to play Michael. Production is set to start in early June and continue into November. No shooting location has been announced, but casting is taking place out of Atlanta, which could indicate a production home base.
“God Is a Bullet”
Nick Cassavetes is on board to direct and write the film adaptation of the 1999 Boston Teran novel “God Is a Bullet.” The story will focus on small-town sheriff Bob Hightower, who is searching for his teenage daughter in the wake of her abduction by a satanic cult that killed his ex-wife. When he has run out of options and the police investigation turns up nothing, he abandons his old life and turns to a cult escapee to help save his child. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Jamie Foxx, Andrew Dice Clay, Maika Monroe, and January Jones have already been cast in the thriller, with the Los Angeles–based Matthew Barry Casting bringing in additional talent. Production is set to start in late May in New Mexico and Mexico City.
“The Last of Us”
Video game fans can start making their fantasy cast list: HBO is adding a live-action adaptation of the PlayStation game “The Last of Us” to its programming slate. The wildly popular game takes place 20 years after a pandemic has decimated humanity. Fourteen-year-old Ellie, who lives inside a quarantine zone, might provide the cure, and professional smuggler Joel agrees to help her traverse the U.S. in order to save the human race. The series, cast by Vickie Thomas, recently announced that “Game of Thrones” alums Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will play Joel and Ellie, respectively. Production on the drama is set to start in early July in Calgary, Alberta.
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This story originally appeared in the April 15 issue of Backstage Magazine. Subscribe here.