NBC has cast John Malkovich as Edward Teach A.K.A. Captain Blackbeard in the their new pirate series Crossbones. Malkovich is an awesome actor, and he going to be amazing in this role! It's pretty cool that the network was able to land him! The network is developing 10 episodes for the new action-adventure series, which is being developed by award-winning Luther creator Neil Cross. For those of you not really familiar with the series yet, here's the synopsis...
It’s 1715 on the Bahamian island of New Providence, the first functioning democracy in the Americas, where the diabolical pirate Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard, reigns over a rogue nation of thieves, outlaws and miscreant sailors. Part shantytown, part marauder’s paradise, this is a place like no other on earth – and a mounting threat to international commerce.
To gain control of this fearsome society, Tom Lowe, a highly skilled undercover assassin, is sent to the pirates’ haven to take down the brilliant and charismatic Blackbeard. But the closer Lowe gets, the more he finds that his quest is not so simple. Lowe can’t help but admire the political ideals of Blackbeard, whose thirst for knowledge knows no bounds – and no law. But Lowe is not the only danger to Blackbeard’s rule. He is a man with many villainous rivals and one great weakness – a passionately driven woman whom he cannot deny.
This sounds like it could be an incredibly entertaining series. House‘s Hugh Laurie has also been in talks to join it, and I'm excited to see how it turns out. They definitely got a great actor for the lead role!