Jurnee Smollett (“Lovecraft Country”) has joined the cast of Apple TV+’s “Firebug,” in which she’ll star opposite Taron Egerton. Smollett will play Michelle, a “rising star detective.”
“Firebug,” loosely based on true events and inspired by a podcast of the same name, stars Egerton as an “enigmatic arson investigator.” The two characters pursue two serial arsonists. Egerton is also an exec producer on the Apple original series (from Apple Studios), from creator Dennis Lehane.
Lehane also developed and executive produces “Firebug,” which reps a reunion of the team behind Apple TV+’s “Black Bird.” Other exec producers include Richard Plepler (via Eden Productions), Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas (through Imperative Entertainment), and Kary Antholis.
Apple points out that the series, set in the contemporary Pacific Northwest, is fictional — although it does take some of the events included in in truth.media’s “Firebug” podcast, which was hosted by Antholis, who executive produces for Crime Story Media, LLC. Also, Marc Smerling is the executive producer for Truth Podcasting Corp.
Smollett was most recently seen in the legal drama “The Burial” along with Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones, as well as the indie drama “We Grown Now,” among the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards beat feature nominees. She’ll next be seen in “The Order” with Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult.
Smollett’s TV credits, besides HBO’s “Lovecraft Country,” include Netflix’s “Lou,” The CW’s “Birds of Prey,” NBC’s “Friday Night Lights,” WGN America’s “Underground” and HBO’s “True Blood.”
Earlier in her career, feature breakouts included “Eve’s Bayou” at the age of 11, as well as “The Great Debaters,” “Hands of Stone,” “Gridiron Gang” and “Beautiful Joe.”
“Firebug” is the latest project from Apple Studios and produced by Imperative Entertainment, along with “Black Bird,” Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and the recently announced film development “The Wager,” an adaptation of David Grann’s new book and developed by Sikelia Productions.
Smollett is repped by Entertainment 360, CAA and Nina Shaw.