Comic book icon Ed Brubaker is returning to the small screen with an adaptation of his Eisner Award-winning series Criminalwhich received the green light from Amazon Prime Video. Debuting in 2006 and originally published by Marvel Comics Criminal is a gritty crime series that follows the stories of low-level thieves, thieves, and various other seedy characters. The series has been praised for its smart writing and bold style, and is best known for utilizing the clichés of the crime genre in a wholly original way.
In an era of comic book movie and TV show dominance, Prime Video's decision to adapt Brubaker's comics reaffirms the streamer's dedication to offering an alternative vision. Prime Video found great success with the program The boys and its various spinoffs, and the aforementioned superhero comics are a dissection of their genre, just as Criminal addresses your topic. Although the project has been in the works for a long time, Prime Video's official green light is a sign that it will be on screens sooner rather than later.
Prime Video Latest Crime News
A Bunch of New Cast Members Join the Comic Series
As the massive ensemble continues to grow, the latest news confirms that several new cast members have joined Criminal. Playing alongside the likes of Charlie Hunnam and Emilia Clarke, Garrett Hedlund (King of Tulsa), Chris Diamantopoulos (The boys on the boat), Lawrence Kao (Walker: Independence), Kyle Bradley Davis (It's always sunny in Philadelphia), Aina Brei'yon (Dark Matter), Robert Lee Hart (Chicago Police), Katie Stevens (The bold type) and John Pyper-Ferguson (Suits) joined (through Deadline). While details about his pieces are under wraps for now, all eight newcomers will play recurring roles.
Prime Video criminal is confirmed
Prime Video announced the project in 2024
News that Criminal was being developed into a TV series that began arriving in early 2023, but due to multiple delays as a result of the Hollywood strikes, Prime Video officially greenlit the project in early 2024. Perhaps the biggest challenge for an adaptation of a comic book like Criminal is finding a way to reduce the story to a digestible TV script. As such, Ed Brubaker's involvement in the project ensures the show will honor the legacy of the award-winning comic book series that defined independent comics in the early 2000s.
Who is creating the crime for Prime Video?
The original creator of the comic is involved
Brubaker was involved with the project from day one and even wrote the script for the premiere episode
Ed Brubaker is perhaps best known for his Winter Soldier arc in Marvel Comics, but the pulp expert has also won awards for work such as Criminal. Due to his proximity to the material, Brubaker was involved in the project from day one and even wrote the script for the premiere episode. Brubaker will serve as co-showrunner alongside Jordan Harper, who has worked on shows including Gotham in a similar capacity.
Prime Video criminal cast
Charlie Hunnam and Emilia Clarke lead a cast
While full details about the cast are not yet known, several big names have already been added to Prime Video Criminal adaptation. The first name added to the set was Richard Jenkins who will play the role of Ivan. Ivan is an elderly criminal whose battle with dementia has left him unable to carry out his illegal activities. Greta, a skilled car thief and getaway driver looking for another big score, will be played by Adria Arjona. Emilia Clarke was chosen to play the skilled armed robber Mallory.
The main role went to Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam who will play Leo. Leo is a skilled criminal who uses his experience and knowledge to carry out work without the use of violence. John Hawkes will play Sebastian Hyde, the owner of a gambling club who recently suffered a stroke. Joining them is Pat Healy as Seymour, a member of Leo's team, and Taylor Selé as Royal, the manager of Sebastian's club. Logan Browning will play Jenny, an Internal Affairs detective for the local police department.
A number of supporting actors have also joined the ensemble, although their parts are unknown for now. These newcomers include Garrett Hedlund (King of Tulsa), Chris Diamantopoulos (The boys on the boat), Lawrence Kao (Walker: Independence), Kyle Bradley Davis (It's always sunny in Philadelphia), Aina Brei'yon (Dark Matter), Robert Lee Hart (Chicago Police), Katie Stevens (The bold type) and John Pyper-Ferguson (Suits).
The well-known Prime Video cast Criminal includes:
|
Actor |
Criminal role |
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|---|---|---|
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Charlie Hunnam |
Lion |
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Emilia Clarke |
Mallory |
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Adria Arjona |
Greta |
|
|
Kadeem Hardison |
Knotty |
|
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Richard Jenkins |
Ivan |
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|
John Hawkes |
Sebastian Hyde |
|
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Gus Halper |
Lawless Ricky |
|
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Pat Healy |
Seymour |
|
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Taylor Selé |
Real |
|
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Luke Evans |
Lawless Tracy |
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Logan Browning |
Jenny |
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Michael Mando |
Jeff |
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Aliyah Camacho |
Angie |
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Marvin Jones III |
Chester |
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Miguel Xavier |
Terry |
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Dominic Burgess |
Delron |
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Garrett Hedlund |
Unknown |
|
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Chris Diamantopoulos |
Unknown |
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Lawrence Kao |
Unknown |
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Katie Stevens |
Unknown |
|
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John Pyper-Ferguson |
Unknown |
|
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Robert Lee Hart |
Unknown |
|
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Aina Brei'yon |
Unknown |
|
|
Kyle Davis |
Unknown |
|
Prime Video Criminal History
So many sinful actions to adapt in the Prime Video series
The story of Criminal It's not so much one story as many interconnected tales that take place within the same gritty and pessimistic universe. Brubaker himself described Criminal like "the intertwined saga of several generations of families united by crimes and murders of the past", and this also gives a good hint as to what the series will be like. While it's unclear which familiar characters from the comics will appear, viewers can expect robberies, murders, and a host of other unsavory acts.
While the story's actual events are gripping on the surface, they are ultimately in service of the overarching themes that Brubaker so deftly injects into the subtext. Similar to the path The boys separates superhero stories, Criminal looks at the detective genre and uses clichés and tropes to comment on society in a way that the usual comics never bother to try.