'American Honey' Star Sasha Lane to Headline Amazon Series 'Utopia'
Sasha Lane of "American Honey" and "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" will star in "Utopia," the new YA series for Amazon.
Gillian Flynn (author of "Gone Girl" and "Sharp Objects"), is adapting the British series for Amazon.
"Utopia" is about a group of young adults who are mercilessly hunted by a shadowy deep state organization after they come into possession of the cult underground graphic novel, "Utopia."
Lane will play "tough and feral" Jessica Hyde, who believes all the answers may lie in the mysterious graphic novel.
“As I’ve been writing Utopia and trying to imagine the actor who could possibly embody Jessica Hyde, Sasha Lane has constantly kicked her way into my mind,” said creator, executive producer and showrunner Flynn. “She has the shape-shifting ability to feel at once raw, unpredictable and a little unnerving while also making you want to wrap your arms around her. I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her play this utterly unique character.”
Flynn got involved in the project when it was set up at HBO with "Gone Girl" director David Fincher. But Fincher and HBO were reportedly unable to come to terms on the show’s budget. With Amazon throwing large sums of money at projects including the massive "Lord of the Rings" series, budget doesn't seem to be an issue here.
Lane's breakthrough role came in Andrea Arnold’s 2016 Cannes-winning indie "American Honey." You can see her next in the "Hellboy" reboot.