At long last, Amazon has found its Anansi Boys. Variety brings word that Malachi Kirby has been chosen to star as both Charlie Nancy and his brother, Spider, in the upcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy novel.
Charlie is a shy Londoner whose dull life gets an unexpected dose of excitement when his father dies. Soon after, Charlie learns that his father was Anansi, a trickster god. He also discovers that he has a brother he never knew about. Charlie is described as “awkward, stressed, engaged to be married, and working at a job he hates for a man he hates.” Meanwhile, Spider is the exact opposite: “cocky, self-assured, magical, superpowered, utterly amoral, and perhaps a bit of a monster.”
Kirby recently appeared in Mangrove, one of the films in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology series. His performance won him a BAFTA for best supporting actor. In 2016, Kirby also starred as Kunta Kinte in the History Channel’s remake of Roots. He currently appears on Sky Atlantic’s Devils, which airs on The CW in the U.S.
RELATED: Delroy Lindo Joins Amazon’s Anansi Boys as Mr. Nancy
“Malachi Kirby is an actor of astonishing sensitivity, charm, and power,” said Gaiman in a new statement. “We needed somebody who could bring us the humanity of Charlie and the godly dangerousness of Spider; who could play two very different characters and who could in many ways carry the show. We found Malachi, and I am so thrilled that we did. He’s astonishing.”
Amazon previously cast Delroy Lindo to play Mr. Nancy on Anansi Boys. In addition to co-writing and executive producing the series, Gaiman is also showrunning the project alongside Douglas Mackinnon. The show already has a six-episode order and will begin filming in Scotland later this year.
How do you feel about Kirby playing Charlie and Spider in the series? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: Anansi Boys: A Novel
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