Anthony Mackie has signed on for the lead role in the “Twisted Metal” live-action series currently in the works at Sony Pictures Television, Variety has confirmed.
Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions are developing the series, which is based on the “Twisted Metal” vehicular combat games, the first of which was released in 1995. It was originally reported in 2019 that Sony was interested in developing a series based on the games.
The new series, which was first announced as being in development in February, is described as an action comedy, based on an original take by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the writers behind the “Deadpool” films and “Zombieland.”
The show is about motor-mouthed outsider John Doe (Mackie) who is offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a trigger-happy car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown named who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck, whom fans of the game will know as Sweet Tooth.
Mackie recently starred in the Disney Plus-Marvel series “The Falcon and the Winter Solider,” reprising his role from multiple Marvel Cinematic Universe films. He is also set to lead the upcoming fourth “Captain America” film. Mackie’s other recent roles include Season 2 of “Altered Carbon” and the films “The Banker,” “Seberg,” “Point Blank,” “The Hate U Give,” and “Detroit.”
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He is repped by UTA and Inspire Entertainment
Michael Jonathan Smith will write and executive produce the series. Reese and Wernick are attached to executive produce. Will Arnett and Marc Forman, through their production company Electric Avenue, will executive produce along with Peter Principato of Artists First. Mackie, Jason Spire from Inspire Entertainment, Qizilbash and Carter Swan of PlayStation Productions and Hermen Hulst, the head of PlayStation Studios, will also executive produce.
Deadline first reported Mackie’s casting.
