Drake Is Bringing His Talents To Netflix

08 Nov, 2017

Drake is reviving one of his favorite TV shows.

The rapper/actor/producer is teaming with Netflix to revive Top Boy, the British crime drama that aired on Channel 4 in the U.K. for two seasons before ending in 2013.

The streamer, which retains global rights to the first two seasons of Top Boy, will premiere the third season in 2019 as a Netflix original.

Top Boy‘s original creative team will return, with Ronan Bennett set to pen the script and executive produce via his Easter Partisan banner alongside Charles Steel and Alasdair Flind of Cowboy Films and Yann Demange (a frontrunner to direct the next Bond film). Drake will exec produce alongside his business partner, Adel “Future” Nur, with Maverick Carter and Jamal Henderson for LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment banner.

The third season picks up as Dushane (original star Ashley Walters) returns from exile to his home in London to reclaim his throne in the highly lucrative drug market. He teams with Sully (Kane “Kano” Robinson), his spiritual brother, partner, and sometime rival who is also returning to the same streets after his own form of exile — prison — comes to an end. Awaiting them both is Jamie, the young, hungry and ruthless gang leader whose ambitions leave no place for Dushane and Sully.

In THR‘s cover story, Drake noted he caught the original on YouTube and was taken with its depiction of London as both beautiful and malevolent. “That human element drew me in,” he said. Netflix vp originals Cindy Holland also noted that it was Drake’s passion for the series that “drove its resurrection.”

Top Boy comes as Drake is looking to expand his television (and film) footprint. While details remain slim, Drake is said to be teaming with A24 (Moonlight) in a deal that includes both TV and film; with Anonymous Content (Mr. Robot) for an untitled TV series; and potentially something with Apple, too. Drake is currently producing documentary feature The Carter Effect, about former NBA star Vince Carter, that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.

THR.com

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