Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson are to reprise their roles in Netflix’s forthcoming season of British gang drama Top Boy.
The pair, who star as Dushane and Sully respectively, are joined by newcomer Micheal Ward (The A List) as well as musical artists Simbi Ajikawo (Little Simz) and David Omoregie (Dave) and Shone Romulus and Ashley Thomas. New cast members include Lisa Dwan (Trust), Jasmine Jobson (Obey), Kadeem Ramsay (Sex Education), Saffron Hocking (London Kills), Kola Bokinni (Black Mirror) and Hope Ikpoku.
The new episodes pick up as Walters’ Dushane returns from exile to his home in London to reclaim his throne in the highly lucrative drug market. He teams up with Robinson’s Sully, 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 Ward’s Jamie, the young, hungry and ruthless gang leader whose ambitions leave no place for Dushane and Sully.
The original series aired on Channel 4 in the UK and ended in 2013. The new ten-part season will launch in the autumn. It was created by original creator Ronan Bennett and is written with Daniel West. Cowboy Films’ Charles Steel and Alasdair Flind produce alongside Bennett and Yann Demange. It is being exec produced by rapper Drake and his business partner Adel “Future” Nur, along with Maverick Carter and Jamal Henderson for SpringHill Entertainment.
Top Boy is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men), Nia DaCosta (Candyman), Aneil Karia (Lovesick) and Brady Hood (Endeavour). The series features original music by Brian Eno and additional music by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante.
Bennett said, “Ten years ago, I witnessed a 10 year-old boy dealing drugs outside my local supermarket. It made me question what was going on in my own community and led me to create Top Boy.”
Walters added, “Top Boy is a raw, real representation of street culture. It explores how these characters came to make the choices they make, and gives the audience a behind-the-scenes look as to what is happening on our streets today. It needs to be talked about and the show doesn’t shy away from giving us the platform to tell our story. We can’t change things if we do not acknowledge it and understand it first. Netflix is the perfect platform for this show, there aren’t many networks who would be brave enough to keep it this real.”
