EXCLUSIVE: Following success of Frankenstein and Beef, Oscar Isaac and Netflix are going all in as sources tell Deadline he is in final negotiations to star in the series Untitled Vegas series from Brian Koppelman and Chuck Levein. Insiders also say Isaac and the studio are close to closing a deal on a new creative partnership with Isaac. As part of the deal, Netflix will have first-look rights on film and series projects with Isaac, Elvira Lind, and Gena Konstantinakos’ production company, Mad Gene.
JC Chandor is directing the first two episodes.
Netflix ordered the eight-episode drama series last December. The show is set in the high-stakes, sharp-elbowed present-day Las Vegas casino business, which is a modernized but still dangerous version of the legendary city. At the center of it stands Robert “Bobby Red” Redman (Isaac), president of the hottest hotel casino in town, who has to make some long odds moves to try and secure his position and take more ground.
Besides starring in this new series, Isaac would also join as exec producer alongside Koppelman and Levien executive produce with their producing partner Paul Schiff (Rushmore) alongside Scorsese and his Sikelia Productions, Julie Yorn and Rick Yorn for Expanded Media, and former Billions writer-producer Beth Schacter, with Kerry Orent (The Better Sister) serving as co-executive producer.
Isaac and Netflix are coming off a strong six month stretch that started with his Golden Globe nominated performance in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein adaptation where he plays Dr. Frankenstein. He followed that critically acclaimed role up with another highly-praised part in the second season of Beef, where he starred opposite Carey Mulligan. Following the success of both projects, the two sides wanted to build on and already strong relationship and saw this as the perfect opportunity to go in on the first look deal.
On top of the production pact, The Roman was the perfect follow-up project to reunite on given how important it is for Netflix’s upcoming slate given the star power involved. The plan is to shoot that this summer.
Netflix also recently acquired the Julian Schnabel pic Hand of Dante starring Isaac, with plans to release this summer.
Isaac is repped by WME.
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