Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson are set to reprise their roles in the 10-episode series, due to debut in the fall.
Ashley Walters (Bulletproof) and Kane Robinson (Tower Block) are set to reprise their roles in Netflix’s upcoming revival of British crime drama Top Boy, which ran for two seasons on Channel 4 between 2011 and 2013.
The two will be joined by fellow returnees Shone Romulus (Out) and Ashley Thomas (The Night Of, Black Mirror), alongside newcomers Micheal Ward (The A List), Lisa Dwan (Trust), Jasmine Jobson (Lie Low), Kadeem Ramsay (Sex Education), Saffron Hocking (London Kills), Kola Bokinni (Black Mirror) and Hope Ikpoku. The series features musical artists Simbi Ajikawo “Little Simz” and David Omoregie “Dave.”
The new 10-episode season has been created and written by the original Top Boy creator Ronan Bennett, with Daniel West also writing, and executive produced by the original creative team of Charles Steel and Alasdair Flind for Cowboy Films, Bennett for Easter Partisan and Yann Demange, who directed the first season before finding further fame with his debut feature ’71. Also exec producing are Drake and his business partner Adel “Future” Nur, along with Maverick Carter and Jamal Henderson for SpringHill Entertainment.
“Ten years ago, I witnessed a 10-year-old boy dealing drugs outside my local supermarket,” said Bennett, speaking of his inspiration behind the show. “It made me question what was going on in my own community and led me to create Top Boy.”
Series veteran Walters added: “Top Boy is a raw, real representation of street culture. It explores how these characters came to make the choices they make, and gives the audience a behind-the-scenes look as to what is happening on our streets today. It needs to be talked about and the show doesn’t shy away from giving us the platform to tell our story. We can’t change things if we do not acknowledge it and understand it first. Netflix is the perfect platform for this show — there aren’t many networks who would be brave enough to keep it this real.”
The new episodes pick up as Dushane (Walters) returns from exile to his home in London to reclaim his throne in the highly lucrative drug market. He teams up with Sully (Robinson), his spiritual brother, partner and sometime rival who is also returning to the same streets after his own form of exile — prison — comes to an end. Awaiting them both is Jamie (Ward), the young, hungry and ruthless gang leader whose ambitions leave no place for Dushane and Sully.
Top Boy is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men), Nia DaCosta (Candyman), Aneil Karia (Pure) and Brady Hood (Endeavour). The series features original music by Brian Eno and additional music by Michael “Mikey J” Asante.
New episodes of Top Boy will debut on Netflix in the fall.
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Source: www.billboard.com
