Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga and John Leguizamo are Set To Star in Ava DuVernay's CENTRAL PARK FIVE
Director Ava DuVernay (A Wrinkle in Time) is in the process of developing her next project called Central Park Five and she has cast her leads. Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga and John Leguizamo are set to star in the five-episode narrative series that DuVernay will write and direct. The series will chronicle the notorious case of five teenagers of color from Harlem who were convicted of a rape they did not commit.
The series will tell the story of Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise and the story "will span from the spring of 1989, when each was first questioned about the incident, to 2014 when they were exonerated and a settlement was reached with the city of New York."
Williams will play Bobby McCray, devoted father of accused teen Antron McCray. Farmiga will play Elizabeth Lederer, the Manhattan Assistant District Attorney and lead prosecutor on the case. Leguizamo will play Raymond Santana Sr., the father of accused teen Raymond Santana Jr. Here's the synopsis that was released for the series:
Based on the true story that gripped New York and the world, the series will be a five-episode limited, scripted series that exposes the breakdown of our criminal justice system at every phase of the notorious Central Park Five case. Each part will focus on one of the five teenagers from Harlem -- Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise -- wrongly convicted of raping Trisha Meili in Central Park. 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.
When previously talking about the project, DuVernay 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."
I've watched a fascinating documentary surrounding this case and it's sure to make for a great series.
Source: THR