FX’s ‘Kindred’ Pilot Adds Ryan Kwanten, Micah Stock & More to Cast

FX is rounding out the cast for its upcoming pilot, Kindred, based on Octavia E. Butler’s book.

Joining the lineup for this drama is Ryan Kwanten (True Blood), Micah Stock (The Right Stuff), Gayle Rankin (GLOW), Austin Smith (Hamilton), Antoinette Crowe-Legacy (Godfather of Harlem), and David Alexander Kaplan (The Resident). Together they’ll serve as series regulars alongside previously announced star and newbie Mallori Johnson.

Mallori Johnson (Credit: Thomas-Brunot/Courtesy of FX)

Janicza Bravo, the co-writer and director of A24’s 2020 film Zola, will direct the pilot with Johnson appearing in the lead role. Written in 1979, Butler’s MacArthur Fellow and Hugo Award-winning book has remained an influential piece of literature over the decades.

Kindred has been hailed as a visionary work of science fiction since the novel debuted. And since then, Kindred has also sold over a million copies, making it a perfect inspiration for an intriguing TV tale with a rich piece of source material to draw on. Butler’s novel tells the story of a young writer who discovers secrets about her family’s past when she’s magically transported back and forth through time to a 19th-century plantation where her ancestors are enslaved.

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The pilot installment is penned by writer Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (Watchmen) who will also serve as an executive producer alongside Courtney Lee-Mitchell (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), Darren Aronofsky (Mother!, Black Swan), Ari Handel (The Fountain), Joe Weisberg (The Americans), Joel Fields (Fosse/Verdon), Ernestine Walker, Merrilee Heifetz, and Bravo.

The pilot is also being produced by FX Productions. Stay tuned to see if the pilot will receive a series order as the project continues to take shape.