Today, the cast has been announced for Paramount+’s prequel series for Sexy Beast. The prequel for the 2000 British black comedy crime film will star James McArdle and Emun Elliot, in roles originated by Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley, respectively, as they enter the criminal underworld of 90s London.
The original film starred Winstone as Gal Dove, a retired criminal who is living a new life with his wife DeeDee (Amanda Redman) in Spain. Kingsley played Don Logan, a dangerous sociopath and former partner of Gal who travels to Spain to recruit him for a heist. The heist then gets Gal tangled up with feared London crime boss Teddy Bass (Ian McShane). The series will begin with Gal and Don as best friends starting out as small-time thieves before being seduced by the “madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s.”
McArdle most recently starred in the critically acclaimed HBO crime drama Mare of Easttown and the BBC drama Life After Life. He has also appeared in films like Mary Queen of Scots and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. Elliot is best known for films like Prometheus, Filth, and The King’s Man. He also appeared in series like Game of Thrones and Guilt.
The main cast of the prequel series will also include Sarah Greene taking over the role of Gal’s future wife DeeDee, Stephen Moyer as a young Teddy Bass making a name for himself in the gangster world, and Tamsin Greig as Don’s stern older sister. Greene recently starred in the acclaimed Hulu series Normal People and can next be seen in the upcoming Apple TV+ series Bad Sisters. Moyer is best known to audiences for starring as the vampire Bill Compton on HBO’s True Blood. Greig has previously starred in the Showtime series Episodes and the fan-favorite horror comedy Shaun of the Dead. The rest of the cast is filled out by Eliza Bennett, Clea Martin, Nicholas Nunn, John Dagleish, Robbie Gee, Paul Kaye, Lex Shrapnel, Cally Lawrence, David Kennedy, Nitin Ganatra, and Alice Bailey Johnson.
This Sexy Beast prequel series comes from Michael Caleo, who is serving as writer, showrunner, and executive producer on the project. Daniel O’Hara is set to direct multiple episodes, as well as serve as executive producer. Other executive producers include the original film’s writers David Scinto and Louis Mellis and Chapter One Pictures’ Sophie Gardiner, Rupert Ryle-Hodgesare, and Nicole Clemens. James Levison will serve as a producer.
Production on this prequel series is currently underway in Liverpool. Stay tuned to Collider for any future updates on this project.