Donald Glover’s comedy pilot Atlanta has cast three of its leads.
FX Networks and FX Productions’ Presidents of Original Programming Nick Grad and Eric Schrier announced the casting news in a press release. Brian Tyree Henry (Vice Principals), Lakeith Lee Stanfield (Dope) and Zazie Beetz (Applesauce) join Donald Glover as the leads in the show about Atlanta’s rap industry.
Glover stars as Earnest “Earn” Marks a loner who returned to Atlanta after leaving for a short time. Currently working a boring day job, Earn grabs the opportunity to manage his cousin’s rap career. Henry will play Alfred Miles, Earn’s cousin and Atlanta’s hottest rapper trying to capitalize on his sudden success quickly. Stanfield will play Darius, Alfred’s oddly talented collaborator and right-hand man. Beetz will play Van, a pragmatist with a complicated relationship with Earn because of their shared daughter.
Atlanta follows Earn and Alfred as they try to make it big in the rap business. Their opposing views on art, commerce, success, and race stand in the way of reaching their shared goal.
In addition to starring in the series Glover created and wrote the pilot and will also executive produce the series. Glover, who grew up in Atlanta’s music scene, is known for his role on Community and his writing on 30 Rock that earned him a Writer’s Guild Award. Glover has his own music career as hip-hop artist Childish Gambino.
Paul Simms and Dianne McGunigle of MGMT Entertainment are also executive producing. Hiro Murai will direct the pilot. Murai has directed multiple music videos including some of Glover’s. The series begins filming in Atlanta later this month.