Sexy Beast is a British crime drama television series developed by Michael Caleo that premiered on Paramount+ on 25 January 2024. It is the prequel to the 2000 film Sexy Beast.
Contents
Synopsis
Sexy Beast traces the relationship between best friends and thieves Gal Dove and Don Logan, who together become involved in London's criminal world during the 1990s. Gal begins a romance with the seductively alluring adult film star Deedee, which proves to be a dangerous endeavour.
Cast and characters
Main
James McArdle as Gal Dove
Cohen James Walmsley as young Gal
Emun Elliott as Don Logan
Sami Amber as young Don
Sarah Greene as Deedee Harrison
Naomi Morris as young Deedee
Ralph Brown as Roger Riley
Tamsin Greig as Cecilia Logan
Scarlett Rayner as young Cecilia
Stephen Moyer as Teddy Bass
Ruaridh Mollica as young Teddy
Production
Development
In August 2018, it was announced that a TV series prequel based on the original film, written, executive produced and showrun by Michael Caleo, would be made after Anonymous Content and Paramount Television acquired the TV rights. Louis Mellis and David Scinto, the writers of the original film, were also executive producing.
Paramount Network ordered a 10-episode season in July 2019, with Keith Cox and Lauren Ruggiero executive producing for Paramount Network and Matt Manfredi, Phil Hay and Karyn Kusama coming on as executive producers, Kusama as director also, through their Familystyle company.
The series was scrapped a year later in July 2020 by Paramount Network, allegedly because of budget cuts after the CBS–Viacom merger but with plans in mind to shop the series to another place. The series was eventually revived at Paramount+, with Train a Comin' Productions, Familystyle, Solas Mind, Anonymous Content, AC Chapter One and Paramount Television International Studios now producing instead of Paramount Television Studios.
Casting
In August 2022, it was reported that James McArdle, Emun Elliott, Tamsin Greig, Stephen Moyer and Sarah Greene were all part of the main cast as Gal Dove, Don Logan, Cecilia, Teddy Bass
and Deedee Harrison respectively. Eliza Bennett, Clea Martin, Nicholas Nunn, Peter Ferdinando, John Dagleish, Robbie Gee, Paul Kaye, Lex Shrapnel, Cally Lawrence, David Kennedy, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Ralph Brown, Nitin Ganatra and Alice Bailey Johnson were all also cast in additional roles.
Filming
Set in 20th-century London, exterior filming has been in Liverpool.
Release
On 4 December 2023, it was announced, together with first look photos, that the series would be released on 25 January 2024.