Chris “Captain America” Evans is the latest star to sign on for an original Apple TV series. Evans will star in and executive-produce Defending Jacob, a limited series based on a best-selling novel from 2012.
It follows the story of a father whose teenage son is accused of murder. Defending Jacob will be Evans’ first non-movie role since he starred in the Opposite Sex miniseries way back in 2000.
According to trade publication Variety, Defending Jacob will go straight to series, meaning that Apple is not simply developing the idea with a view to possibly making it in the future. It is being directed by Morten Tyldum, who previously directed The Imitation Game and the sci-fi movie Passengers.
Apple’s original content ambitions
Apple currently has around 25 original series in various states of development.
The company hasn’t yet revealed exactly how it plans to distribute these shows, although popular theories range from giving its shows away for free to launching its own Netflix-style streaming subscription service. We thought Apple might share some details during its recent media event, but it wound up not mentioning the video initiative at all.
Evans isn’t the only actor best known for playing a superhero to sign on for an Apple series. Back in July, Aquaman actor Jason Momoa signed on to play the lead role in the series See, an epic, world-building drama that’s set in the future. Other big-name actors to sign on for Apple series include Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Aaron Paul.
Source: Variety
