Sharlto Copley Michelle Forbes - H 2014
AP ImagesPlayStation’s upcoming Powers adaptation has cast its two leading roles.
District 9 breakout Sharlto Copley and The Killing‘s Michelle Forbes are set to star in the long-gestating adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis‘ Image/Icon comic, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Powers revolves around Christian Walker, a cop who works in the Powers division of the police force and deals with crimes involving those endowed with special abilities. Sony’s PlayStation picked up the drama straight to series with a 10-episode order for the project that spent years in development at FX.
Copley (Maleficent, The A-Team) will make his TV series debut with the role as Walker, a cop with darkness and violence at his surface but with a sense of buried integrity. The character jumps first and thinks later. Dapper and charismatic, he has the dissolute air of a faded rock star and the body of a battered heavyweight. Once possessed of superpowers, Walker lost his powers in a battle with a superhuman mass killer. A faded hero, he’s now a detective who works with law enforcement, using his singular expertise to investigate crimes in the Powers community. Jason Patric originally played the role in FX’s take.
Forbes (True Blood, Orphan Black, Chicago Fire) is set as Retro Girl, who has a cool and hard exterior with a fire right below the surface. The character is the undisputed superstar of the Powers community who is an icon of justice, selflessness and business acumen. Her willingness to put herself at risk for the good of others is matched only by her ability to manage her globe-spanning personal brand. Carly Foulkes took on the character in the FX pilot.
From Sony Pictures Television, David Slade (Breaking Bad, Hannibal) will direct the first two episodes of Powers, which hails from writer/EP Charlie Huston, comic creator Bendis, Remi Aubuchon, Michael Avon Oeming, Michael Diner and David Engel.
Forbes (UTA, Berwick & Kovacik) and Copley (WME) join a cast that includes Eddie Izzard, Noah Taylor, Olesya Rulin, Susan Heyward, Max Fowler and Adam Godley. Powers will debut on the PlayStation Network in December.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
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