How to Get Cast on ‘The Black Dagger Brotherhood’

“The Black Dagger Brotherhood” Season 1 will follow “Dark Lover,” the first book in Ward’s series (which consists of 24 installments!). In this story, viewers will meet the titular society of vampire warriors who must defend their race against de-souled humans known as Lessers. This particular installment follows Wrath, leader of the brotherhood, who takes an orphaned half-breed, Beth, under his wing when her father, a valuable fighter, is killed. As the last purebred vampire in existence, Wrath remains invested in vanquishing the slayers who killed his parents centuries prior. However, he quickly realizes introducing Beth to her undead heritage could distract him from his long-held vendetta.

So far, we can confirm these actors will be starring in “The Black Dagger Brotherhood” Season 1:

• Robert Maaser as Wrath
• Olivia Grace Applegate as Beth
• Michael Roark as Butch
• Joel Cederberg as Tohrment
• Alexander Cubis as Rhage
• Victory Van Tuyl as Marissa 
• Sia Zami as Vishous
• Andrew Biernat as Zsadist
• Zack Ignoffo as Phury
• Darrell Snedeger as Mr. X
• Gene David Paulsson as Fritz
• RJ Thomas as Billy Riddle
• Kellen Boyle as Havers
• Ian Paola as José De La Cruz
• Kim Whalen as Wellsie
• Juan Pablo Gamboa as Dick

While there’s no specific casting director attached to the project at the moment, Musk appears to have a major role in bringing all of Passionflix’s projects to life. Though the streaming service primarily focuses on stories that are sexual in nature—taking many of the romance genre’s biggest bestsellers from page to screen—as a filmmaker, Musk has a particular interest in defying female stereotypes. 

“I made a movie once and the character was a psychiatrist, and she fell in love with a warlock. When she kissed him, all his powers went into her body—and she didn’t know that he was a warlock, so suddenly, she’s a psychiatrist who can do all these magical powers, and so she was like, ‘Something’s wrong with me, I am a crazy person,’ ” Musk shared. “The company that I was making it for said, ‘You can’t make her a psychiatrist; women won’t be able to relate to her. You have to make her a teacher so that women can relate to her.’ And I was like, ‘Uh… I’m pretty sure that women can relate to a psychiatrist. They’ll be fine. Also, she needs to analyze herself. She thinks she’s going crazy.’ So it’s not that it’s hard to make a story about women in a specific role; it’s hard for other people to accept that women can be in any role. And we can relate to any of those roles and it’s fine.”

Applegate and Roark also worked together on the Passionflix series “Driven” (2018–2022), and for the seasoned Roark, who’s also appeared on “The Young and the Restless” and “Magic Mike,” most roles come as direct offers. As he told DC Film Girl while discussing “Driven,” he knows agreeing to a series can be demanding. 

“You have to really, really be on board for something…. It costs a lot if you’re going to do it right,” Roark said. “I was a little skeptical at first, but I’m like, ‘All right, you know, I’ll go and meet with them.’ And then after meeting with Tosca and Olivia, I’m like, ‘All right, yeah.’ I really got on board once I kind of understood why Tosca makes these films. And once I could feel the energy, feel the vibe in the room, I could look Olivia in the eye and say, ‘Yeah, I could definitely do this with her,’ because it does make a difference. There are actors and actresses—it doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is difficult, but if there isn’t a vibe or connection, could you make the movie? Yeah, but it might be really hard and it may not end up very good.

“For something like this,” he added, “with the intimate scenes, there’s so much texture to these roles to make it work. And if you’re really going to make the story breathe

The series began filming on Oct. 14, 2024, as Musk posted a video on Instagram from the set on Day 1. Insiders predict the series will premiere sometime in the summer of 2025. 

Stay tuned to this page for updates and follow the official account for “The Black Dagger Brotherhood” for more information on what’s to come.

During the audition phase, Ward, Musk, and Passionflix all took to social media on multiple occasions to publicize casting calls for “The Black Dagger Brotherhood.” Though actors were told to visit bdbcasting.com for more information ahead of the July 2024 deadline, the site no longer appears to be active. We recommend following the aforementioned socials to remain up-to-date on what’s to come for “The Black Dagger Brotherhood.”

While you wait for potential opportunities, here are some other book adaptations, franchise continuations, and similar projects in the news lately:

• Everything We Know About the ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ TV Series
• Everything We Know About the ‘Fourth Wing’ TV Series
• Everything We Know About the Netflix ‘Twilight’ Animated Series
• Everything We Know About Netflix’s ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ Adaptation

And don’t forget to bookmark our main casting page or these romance gigs for the latest calls!

There’s a variety of ways to play love onscreen, but “The Black Dagger Brotherhood”—and Passionflix, in general—often explores the physical side of romantic relationships. When it comes to these roles, you must be comfortable with the possibility that you’ll have to act out a sex scene with your costar. That’s where intimacy coordinators come into play. To maintain safety and ensure comfort when a scene calls for nudity or simulated sex, these experts help bring the filmmaker’s vision to life with the consent of everyone involved.

As certified intimacy coordinator Marci Liroff wrote for Backstage, “Think about it: When a production executes a stunt, it hires a stunt coordinator who makes sure that every member of the crew remains safe, is educated, and has given consent to perform the task at hand. This requires interviews with the production team to determine exactly what is called for in the scene down to the smallest detail. It also requires extensive choreography, planning, and safety meetings. Now, with intimate scenes, the same thoughtful attention to detail can be given to create a safe environment for the actors involved, as well to ensure that the vision of the director and producers is met, thereby saving the production time and money.”

Certified intimacy coordinator Alicia Rodis broke down the process for us, explaining the planning stages that come before the cameras even start rolling. “I come in just like any specialist coming into a scene,” she told us. “I read the script, I see what the story is, and then I meet with the director or the showrunner and say, ‘What exactly are you looking for in this scene?’ There are times in the [script] where it just says, ‘They undress and begin having sex,’ and that’s the line. There are so many nuances as far as: What exactly is the story we’re telling? What kind of sex is this? What are we showing, and what do we know the actors are OK with? And then we have that conversation so that when we get there on the day we’re filming, everyone knows what’s expected of them.”

But as Liroff noted, you have the right to say no at any time. “I find that most actors are hardwired to agree to anything. You are trained to jump into most circumstances with trust and an open heart. But you should know that your no is very powerful,” she said. “For instance, there’s a clause in your SAG-AFTRA contract stipulating that you have the right to say no to a scene while you’re in the middle of shooting, even if you’ve agreed to it and have signed a nudity rider. We can then compromise on the scene and continue shooting, or we can employ a double for you. The double can only do what’s in your nudity rider, and the production can use the takes you’ve already shot.”

Actors must remember they have the ultimate say when it comes to what they will or will not do when filming a sex scene. Your voice has power, and with an intimacy coordinator to protect you on set, you will always have an advocate in your corner.