Variety reports that Brave New World, based on the Aldous Huxley novel of the same name, has rounded out its main cast and can now get started on their proposed 2020 release date. In addition to the previously cast Jessica Brown Findlay, Alden Ehrenreich, and Harry Lloyd, the show has now cast Kylie Bunbury, Hannah John-Kamen, Sen Mitsuji, Joseph Morgan, and Nina Sosanya. The series will be produced by Universal Content Productions (UCP) and Amblin Television.
The novel, Brave New World, portrays a dystopian society that is marketed to its citizens as ‘utopian’. The World State has built an unnerving sense of peace and stability by wiping out monogamy, religion, money, family, history, privacy, and curiosity, as well as sorting each person into a caste. Lloyd will play Bernard Marx, a low Alpha Plus while Jessica Brown Findlay will play Lenina Crowne whose caste is never specifically stated, at least in the book. Marx and Crowne grow tired of the of the harsh conditions and the seeming instant gratification of society and go beyond the New World to the Savage Lands. Once there, they unintentionally become entangled in a violent rebellion. Ehrenreich will play John the Savage, who will rescue them and escape with them back to New London where his subversive attitude begins to cause problems.
Deadline notes that Lloyd recently starred beside JK Simmons in the Starz drama Counterpart. He is set to make his debut as Professor X in the third season of FX’s Legion. He is also known for his brief role as Viserys Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones.
Variety previously reported that Ehrenreich famously took on the mantle of a young Han Solo in the Star Wars standalone film, Solo. This will be his first television role.
Variety also mentioned Brown Findlay’s casting, noting that she is most known for her role as Lady Sybil Branson on Downtown Abbey. She can also be seen in the Hulu/ITV series Harlots which is set to air its third season this July in the U.S.
Bunbury will play Frannie, a Beta Plus and Lenina’s best friend, who embraces her conditioning and New London’s social order. Bunbury recently starred in the critically-acclaimed Netflix miniseries When They See Us and previously appeared in the Fox baseball drama Pitch.
John-Kamen will play Wilhelmina “Helm” Watson, a decadent, laissez-faire type artist and New London’s premier creator of Feelies. John-Kamen currently stars in another UCP series Killjoys.
Mitsuji will play Henry Foster, an Alpha Plus to the core, who works beside Bernard as a counselor at The Bureau of Stability. Mitsuji recently featured as a series regular in Origin. He can also be seen in an upcoming story arc on Altered Carbon, as well as taking on a recurring role in the last season of The Man in the High Castle.
Morgan will play CJack60, an Epsilon relegated to hard-labor, who is seriously, emotionally effected after bearing witness to a horrifying incident. Morgan is best known for his role as Klaus Mikaelson on The Vampire Diaries, and the later spin-off The Originals.
Sosanya will play Mustafa Mond, a World Controller who is responsible for maintaining social structure and utopian promise in the New World. Sosanya’s recent TV credits include Killing Eve and Good Omens.