Netflix’s Central Park Five has signed on Felicity Huffman, Jharrel Jerome, and Jovan Adepo in key roles. The trio joins previously announced cast members Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga, and John Leguizamo in the dramatic four-episode series.
Oscar nominee Ava DuVernay (13th) is writing and directing the limited series. DuVernay is also executive producing along with Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King from Participant Media, Oprah Winfrey/Harpo Films, Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh from Tribeca Productions.
Netflix is aiming for a 2019 premiere.
The Central Park Five cast and characters, courtesy of Netflix:
- Oscar nominee and Emmy Award winner Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) will play Linda Fairstein, the prosecutor who headed the Manhattan district attorney’s sex crimes office during the case.
- Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight) will play Korey Wise, one of the wrongfully convicted five who was charged as an adult in the case and served twelve years in prison before being exonerated.
- Jovan Adepo (Fences) will play the exonerated Antron McCray, another member of the wrongfully convicted five, who was released after serving six years in a New York State prison.
- Two-time Emmy Award nominee Michael K. Williams (Bessie, The Night Of) will play Bobby McCray, devoted father of accused teen Antron McCray.
- Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) will play Elizabeth Lederer, the Manhattan Assistant District Attorney and lead prosecutor on the case.
- Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo (John Leguizamo: Freak) will play Raymond Santana Sr., the father of accused teen Raymond Santana Jr.
The Plot: Based on a true story that gripped the country, Central Park Five will chronicle the notorious case of five teenagers of color who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. The four episode limited series will focus on the five teenagers from Harlem — Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise. The series will span from the spring of 1989, when each were first questioned about the incident, to 2014 when they were exonerated and a settlement was reached with the city of New York.
