“Atlanta draws on Donald’s considerable talents as a musician, actor and writer to give us something unique,” said FX original programming president Nick Grad in a statement. “The story is made all the more powerful by the great cast and the contributions of Donald’s fellow executive producer Paul Simms and director Hiro Murai.”
Glover will play Earnest “Earn” Marks, a “loner” who returns to his hometown of Atlanta and ends up managing the burgeoning hip-hop career of his cousin Alfred, played by Bryan Tyree Henry. Henry is best known for the film Puerto Ricans in Paris as well as appearances on HBO’s Vice Principal and Boardwalk Empire. Lakeith Lee Stanfield will also star as “right-hand man and musical collaborator” Darius. Stanfield has some notable hip hop experience of his own, portraying Snoop Dogg in the NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton and performing in the hip hop group Moors.
FX, which recently debuted the fifth season of its most popular American Horror Show series, will also premiere two Louis C.K.-produced comedies in 2016: Baskets (starring Zach Galifianakis) and Better Things (starring Pamela Adlon). The network undoubtedly hopes that Atlanta will capitalize on some of the same success as parent company Fox’s hip hop drama/soap, Empire which rose as one of the hottest series on broadcast TV last year.
