Ava DuVernay’s Central Park Five Series Casts Its Leads

Gotham‘s Chris Chalk is among the newly unveiled cast of Ava DuVernay’s upcoming limited series about the Central Park Five case.

Chalk will play adult Yusef Salaam, while newcomers Freddy Miyares and Justin Cunningham will play adult Raymond Santana and adult Kevin Richardson, respectively. Together, they will star alongside previously announced Jharrel Jerome (adult Korey Wise and young Korey Wise) and Jovan Adepo (adult Antron McCray) as the men in the Central Park Five case. Filming began this week in New York City, and the limited series will be released on Netflix in 2019.

Ethan Herisse (Miss Virginia) will play young Yusef Salaam; Marquis Rodriguez (Chicago Fire) will play young Raymond Santana, Jr.; Caleel Harris (Goosebumps 2) will play young Antron McCray; Asante Blackk will play young Kevin Richardson.

Based on a true story, the limited series will chronicle the notorious case of five teenagers of color who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. The series will span from the spring of 1989, when each was first questioned about the incident, to 2014, when they were exonerated and a settlement was reached with the city of New York.