Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga and John Leguizamo have been cast to star and lead in Ava DuVernay’s Central Park Five limited series on Netflix.

Having been announced last year, the series begins in 1989 when five Harlem teens Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise were wrongfully convicted of a crime they did not commit, up until the year 2014 in which the five were finally cleared.

The project will have DuVernay working behind the camera and writing alongside Robin Swicord, Attica Locke, and Michael Starrbury. The series will also represent the fifth project with which DuVernay collaborates with Bradford Young (Selma, Middle of Nowhere, Solo: A Star Wars Story)

Needing no introduction, Williams (The Wire, Hap and Leonard) is set to portray the father of Antron, Bobby McCray. Farmiga (Bates Motel) will portray lead prosecutor Manhattan assistant D.A. Elizabeth Lederer and Leguizamo will play Raymond Santana Sr. Further cast details are yet to be released.

DuVernay is no stranger to themes of race, crippled institutions and systematic oppression,  having helmed works such as Selma and  the documentary, 13th. 

Production set to begin later this year with Ava Duvernay,  Jeff Skoll, Jonathan King, Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh all set to be executive producers.

What do you think of the Central Park Five cast so far? Be sure to let us know in the comment section below.

Source: Deadline