Ava DuVernay just keeps adding amazing actors to her Central Park Five Netflix series, and we can't wait
To bring an important story on screen, you’d need a talented director, a brilliant screenwriter, and an exceptional pool of actors. Upcoming Netflix limited series Central Park Five has already got the director and screenwriter locked down with the one and only Ava DuVernay, and now, thanks to her, the cast is shaping up to be just as top-notch.
Further cementing the fact that DuVernay has an unparalleled eye for talent, the director has handpicked Emmy-award winning actress Felicity Huffman, Moonlight’s Jharrel Jerome, and Fences’ Jovan Adepo to get on board the five-episode drama series. They are joining the previously cast stars Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga, and John Leguizamo.
Based on a true tale, Central Park Five will follow a group of five young men of color — Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise — who were wrongfully convicted of a rape they did not commit in 1989.
Jerome will take on the role of Korey, who was charged as an adult and forced to serve 12 years in prison prior to exoneration. Meanwhile, Adepo will play Antron, who served six years in a New York state prison. Huffman will step in the shoes of Linda Fairstein, the prosecutor who headed the Manhattan district attorney’s sex crimes office at the time.
On top of writing and directing, Ava DuVernay will also be executive producing the drama. The series will span across decades, starting in 1989 when the boys were first questioned about the incident, up to 2014 when they reached a settlement with the city of New York and were finally exonerated.
In a statement, DuVernay said that this project will be a supplement to her work in exploring the criminal justice system.
"I had an extraordinary experience working with Netflix on 13TH and am overjoyed to continue this exploration of the criminal justice system as a narrative project with Cindy Holland and the team there," she said. "The story of the men known as Central Park Five has riveted me for more than two decades. In their journey, we witness five innocent young men of color who were met with injustice at every turn - from coerced confessions to unjust incarceration to public calls for their execution by the man who would go on to be the President of the United States."
Central Park Five is slated to stream on Netflix in 2019.
